Every Night
I turn in the darkness
near praying to you, as though
you are some lost god and not
beautiful, breathing flesh and bone
the sun shines now and I can’t
remind you of what I murmured:
something about how I love you
and the loving hurts—I’m sorry,
I don’t think I’ve said it yet, only
turned those words over in my
head, kept them locked up and
sacred like a poem I read
once about how love
holds its breath; every night I
suffocate, love. every
night I see you drown me.
Rumi Petersen is a poet, playwright, director, archer, and lover of blending all these things into a nonsense amalgamation of words and emotions. Can often be found doing improv.