Difficulty Swallowing

(this is in reference) (to carnivores) (this) (is in) (reference to the word) (panties) (this is in
reference) (to someone hating) (the word) (and this is in reference to) (the politics) (of word-
hating) (this is in reference) (to using) (a parenthesis and not) (closing) (and this) (is in reference
to eyes) (of feast) (of speak) (of opening a mouth) (to bite) (but unable to) (swallow) (this is in
reference to vegetarians) (everywhere: did you know) (your eyes are carnivores? that’s) (right
eyelashes like a venus) (fly trap and doesn’t she sound) (like the model houseplant) (i thought i
had) (outgrown this and now) (here i am) (and this is in reference to myself: i would prefer) (to
be) (outlived) (by every person i love and this) (is in reference to how this is) (selfish and i say it)
(anyway) (i named her) (kneeler) (my eye) (i named her kneel) (i close her now and) (my partner
does not) (bat) (their own) (it is noon on a sunday) (and i have not found) (a way from beneath)
(the covers) (they say, darling) (be kind) (to your body) (it is sunday, and you) (you) (are at church

Shannon Hearn is the author of the chapbook tracing circles in dirt (Bottlecap Press, 2022). Her work has appeared or is forthcoming with 3:AM Magazine, cream city review, Fugue, Voicemail Poems, and others. She is a PhD candidate in Poetry at Binghamton University, and lives in Brooklyn.