The Church Believed We’d be Married by Now
I remember him
by the dolphin tattoo
on his shin
teen missionary
turned water lizard
if he just kept running
he wouldn’t sink
horrible handshake,
harsh grip
what secrets
did he carry
in closed fists
what clawed
in his throat
prayed to die
troubled varsity athlete
cross country runner
when I picked him up
from practice
sweat smell lingered
in my car for days
now, he works on a cruise ship
sells stuffed dolphins to tourists
probably paces the deck at night
worrying about his contribution
to underwater noise pollution
he thinks of me on Sundays
of that I am certain
on Sundays I think of salmon
and their predators
dolphins swallow their prey
head first so salmon spines
don’t get caught in their throats
Disco rodeo cowboys
with broken hearts and coffee breath
driver’s seat and desperate touches
veering off road, ignoring signs
with bandana gifts and cigarette smoke
their hands slip in pockets and around throats
no home, no heroes, and no prize.
Fight or Flight
I sat on a mass of rock in the woods, my feet dangling over the edge. Two jaguars emerged, weaving through the troops of trees below. Something about their smooth, consistent strides constructed a joyous air about them, so that I wasn’t afraid even when they noticed me and their play morphed into pursuit. I didn’t move from my perch on the rocks. I didn’t even wonder why there were jaguars roaming free in Ohio. One lept in the air, clutched my feet between its claws and tore me down from the rock. I laid on my back, the sun swiveled on its metal arm to shine directly in my eyes. Beyond the blinding light, I expected to see a dentist, but it was the jaguars who stood waiting at my feet. We watched each other. We watched each other and the branches of the trees above us shifted, merging together to form a wooden web and before I knew it, I was caught.
White Cliff Photo by Stanley Dai from Unsplash
Cody Tieman is a queer poet interested in the complexities of gender performance and dreams. His poetry has appeared in The Brooklyn Review, The Allegheny Review, Exile Magazine and elsewhere.
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