Heir Apparent

Issue #50 December 2020

Noor Al-Samarrai

and my heart has been cleansed of love

          like something pasteurized pickled and held

in a plastic bag or glove

          a white condition, wrapped


ready you think for you, but it must be spiritual

          if you are to eat it

          if you are to eat anything


oh, die before you bite

          anything without considering

the pleasure of life.

















  I don't trust large fruit

or Moments of Love

    my lip gets caught

                  on the edge of a cup

    when dawn first comes

    when the edge of light

comes

Rain is starting again.

      My legs are askew.

      My body an errand I run.

Left rain, came to rain,

      said goodbye in a patch.

Return, fat pellets, weather’s

      shared but the air

      is more densely populated here and city

people are afraid

of rain.

      Man doesn’t look me in the eye.

      I want to slap him and shout.

      I’m having a historic feeling I hate.