WE ARE MERMAIDS (4)

By: Stephanie Burt
October 16, 2022

We are pleased to excerpt four poems from HILOBROW friend Stephanie Burt’s new collection, We Are Mermaids (published this month by Graywolf Press). Lavendar Arseny has illustrated each poem in our series with an original photograph.

LOVE POEM WITH COMIC BOOKS ON SATURDAYS

(Greek Anthology 5:219)

It’s better when you blush
before you kiss me, better
if they don’t find out.
Let’s tie each other’s shoes.
Let’s run a race we mean to lose.

      Let’s have a crush
that violates the spirit, but never the letter
      of the Comics Code,
where what you almost
      see is more important than what you
      can.

Let’s run together like melted butter
      under our shared cotton coverlet
tonight, and never let
      anyone tell us we’re brave, or foolish, or
      bold,
nor give each other reason to doubt.
      Let’s make each other toast
tomorrow morning. Get out your pocket
      calendar. Let’s make our sleepover plan.

***

WE ARE MERMAIDS: “Miami” | “Boeing 757s, Airbus 320s, an Embraer 190” | “Hymn to Youth” | “Love Poem with Comic Books on Saturdays”.

Lavendar Arseny is a creative photographer. They are autistic and nonbinary, and they collect stuffed animals. Find them here.

WE ARE MERMAIDS (4)

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