LOVE SONG
i wanted to write a poem
but then i got drunk
and then i forgot
to take the asparagus out of the oven
and then i forgot
you wanted to play trivia
and then i forgot
how greasy my hair was,
how in need of a shower i was,
how the dog needs to go out
every six hours, the moon is a
waxing crescent, we can see orion
in the south, the days are
getting longer, my grandmother’s
letter arrived today, my uncle
is still dying of cancer,
it’s been one month since
my last funeral, i need to water
the cactus that is on the heater,
olive oil smells good when it
is scorched in the oven at 400
degrees, did you know mexico
city is the westernmost national
capital in the americas? it isn’t
santiago and it definitely wasn’t
buenos aires because at first i
mixed up east and west. i wanted
to write a poem for you but instead
i got drunk and burnt our dinner
jessie knoles is a midwesterner living in seattle. her work has been at queen mob’s teahouse, green mountains review, third point press, and cosmonaut’s avenue, among others. she is the interviews editor for vagabond city lit, and is a poetry editor for HOBART.
The Boiler 