Emily as the Knives
Darren Demaree
There are too many love poems
that fry meats
as a framed measure
of passion. Why unchoke the nay
rather the intent to separate life
from the consumption of life.
I’m telling you my blood
can be had without the smell
of an embedded narrative.
My love has so many
sharp mirrors. Her wrists lift
the hardwood with a tiny flick.
I am with the backsplash
as she intended. Admire me
amidst her mid-century flare.
Darren Demaree’s poems have appeared or are scheduled to appear in numerous magazines/journals, including Hotel Amerika, Diode, North American Review, New Letters, Diagram, and the Colorado Review. He is the author of seventeen poetry collections, most recently 'clawing at the grounded moon' (August 2022, April Gloaming). Additionally, he is the Editor in Chief of the Best of the Net Anthology and Managing Editor of Ovenbird Poetry. He is currently living and writing in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and children.