ON ONE HAND, THE BOOKS

sometimes, baby, we’ll be listening to a
song that reminds me how badly I want
to be kissing you as I am kissing you.

that’s when I kiss you differently: there’s
more tongue, less tactic. saliva everywhere,
nothing is neat. I am trying to solve getting

closer to you, despite my hands being flat
against the small of your back and then,
with each new second, someplace else.

I’m convinced your skin is a barrier, so I
suck up to it, because what are you supposed to
do when you get your hands on magic

but beg for more? it doesn’t take much to
make me dance. one strong note and I’m
off the chair onto the floor. (I know a good

thing.) this song, this song playing now—
it brings out what I don’t have words for,
unless you give me paper, give me pen.

you won’t even toss a pencil & napkin my way
if I ask; instead you point out how blank
the body, how unmarred.

what do you expect me to do but everything
I have ever wanted? I think you like our
arrangement. where I can count on one

hand the number of books I’ve finished,
and wouldn’t dare to count how many times
we’ve—

---

Danielle Lisa, 26, New York - USA ✯ IG: @DanielleLisaPoetry

“Danielle Lisa is a poet born in New York. Her mother knew Danielle would grow up to be a poet because, as a child, poetry was the thing to get her to stop crying. Now at twenty-six, poetry doesn't get her to stop crying, it makes her start. She self-published her first collection It’s Not All Blue, and her poem, "I'm Convinced You Actually Liked the Whole Wheat Pancakes" is being published in an upcoming edition of Rattle.”