for my sweet boy
Third Place
perhaps it’s for the best that we only
speak in shows of love, and not the memories of those who caused us
pain. instead, we’ll build our world of
snowy mornings, sunny corners, safe
in all our simple joys, where you can
tuck away my love in your bright
green eyes to chase the fears away.
the tears flow freely when you’re pulled
to my chest, head tucked beneath my
chin, our practiced dance; my body crumpled by sobs. you love me
in all my failed perfection, you touch
my hand and thrum with purrs, I time
my breath to match with yours and hope we find sweet dreams and peace therein.
Andy VanDoren (any pronouns) is a queer, synesthetic poet inspired by natural phenomena. They can be found frequenting tea shops, talking to bumblebees, and sitting on swingsets. Themes of their work include abstracting reality and unreliable narrators. Through poetry, they seek to paint pictures of how the world looks from inside their mind. They are published in Ghost Girls Zine and Celestite Poetry Journal. You can find them on Twitter @raggedypoet