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Jordan Durham: Kodachrome

November 17, 2015 by PBQ

A friend holds out a picture

and before turning it over says:

This is the heart suspended

at the exact moment of impact.

He flips it, and I see

over the fence a fawn

hanging, pierced through a post

and expectant like she still

can make the leap. Framed far enough

away that her blood is mistaken

for ants climbing down and

pooling into their colony. Her eyes,

brown, resting on the apple tree

ten yards away. The tongue

lolling after her cry, the finality

of it, sounded hours ago.

Her spots, still spots, lightly waving

in the wind. I wonder about her impact,

unknowing, sudden, and then

about my friend’s heart. Its moment

exactly before the spearing

unexpectedly occurred. The flush

beating against his curved cheeks. How

fullness only comes after being filled in

abundance. His hands cupping to begin

to cover the soon-pierced chest. He saw

it coming. The impact, only seconds long,

now days wishing they could turn themselves

back. I look into his eyes instead of talking

about the apples, or blood, as he

places back into his pocket the fawn

left hanging; his heart creasing in suspension.

Filed Under: Contributors 92, Issue 92, Poetry, Poetry 92 Tagged With: Contributors 92, Jordan Durham, Poetry, Poetry 92

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