demons
—Summer, is in the high winds—
grapes and graves pendulate
hopeless \ drained
swooping men into their elixir,
women / bee-stung / swollen
stolen
glances,
sanative—
venom/
what’s yesterday stays,
an onset
of what the night brings—
sit here, sloppy and free
eat
drink
unfasten
run from your shadow,
a beast of your pastselves bred to breed more of what mauls,
leave it to die.
The point of daffodils 🌼
I’m sorry
I’m sorry
I’m sorry
I yawned love in all the shades of pastel you own/
I want to paint your infinite so spread your legs,
Show the world how deep you go, you said—
There is not enough paint or sky to hold me, I sigh/
He laughs as he begins to sprout his wings
It’s all in numbers
How we end and how we begin
An angel laughs—but he sings
I’m sorry
I’m sorry
I’m sorry
Apologies are endless and unnecessary
if you’ve already learned that forgiveness can be silent
I’ve seen
You’ve seen a chiseled hand sculpt you into something/mouth gaped open
Not to speak
But to hold the plague of his snake
Skid slink into my feet
My brain/
A music box of screams
Tucked neatly where I bled
I carry traces of my poetry in the morning
as I eat
And in the dusk when I’m asleep
I salivate for food as if I’m starving
Full belly tells a different story
I wonder if the lessons that you taught me come in handy
For when I want love to see me in my shadow
For when I’m dressed up like a clown with rainbows of beige and browns
I don’t eat fruit because it feels too good
Sugar is the same as when I cry and smile and taste the
salt lake house you left me in
I am an old one because you the ancient were inside me
You implanted all your heart and now whenever I love
I wonder if you love it too
I’ve regrown all my teeth
I’ve shoveled out the dirt
I’ve planted all new trees
I am a garden in full bruise
Artist’s Statement on the photos: The pictures are from the Full Moon on December 11, 2019. They were taken inside Joshua Tree National Park.
Ingrid M. Calderon-Collins is an immigrant from El Salvador. Her work has been featured in Thimble Literary Magazine, Rabid Oak, Moonchild Magazine, and FIVE:2:ONE amid others. She was the hostess of a monthly poetry reading series, “They’re Just Words” featuring poets from all over L.A. County from 2017-2019. Currently, she runs a literary magazine called “RESURRECTION mag,” where she encourages poets, artists and photographers to show the world their joys and their sorrows. She is the author of thirteen books. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband, painter John Collins.