Alright, Listen ~ poetry by Hillary Smith-Maddern

Alright, Listen

SCENARIO I

We’re naked and playing guitar,
writing love songs that don’t quite rhyme
while we drink to all the ghosts
who haunt our lives.

SCENARIO II

I heard a rumor you were selfish and self-consumed,
suffocating on the leather gags of your own ego.
I crave the peanut butter way
you lie to yourself, the fractaled
energy that fairies between our lips.

SCENARIO III

I think I love you.
And what would you like me to do about that?

SCENARIO IV

I want to buy you new pillows
and wake up to the quiet
way you snore. Let’s wear
each other’s unwashed socks
while we knit lopsided scarves
under pale Christmas lights
until the mess of our existence
seeps through the purls.

Hillary Smith-Maddern is a proud cat mom and collector of dilapidated plants. Her favorite things include cats, coffee, cobblestone streets, and the crisp, blank pages of a writing notebook. When she’s not writing, you can find her diving down weird rabbit holes, hiking a mountain, or yelling about the patriarchy. She resides in Western Massachusetts. Her poetry has been featured in Only Poems, Shelter of Daylight Journal, and Ghost City Review among others.