The Enemies We Cannot See by Lynn Tait

August 16, 2022
Poet name: Lynn Tait Poem name: The Enemies We Cannot See Poem: Stephen Tait 1983-2012 – fentanyl overdose after Taylor Johnson Nightly, his enemies feasted on his heart, like flies sensing death. His flesh, a winter tree covered in snow, the wet cold part of him now part of me. His enemies drain my blood as they murder him slowly. Our enemy deals out a hand of black hearts, red clubs bashing blindly, jokers wild, queen face down in sorrow. His sun dimmed by powder and tinfoil dissolves into bleak horizons, killing our joy. He is spread out and shining, his enemies slice into him like bread, feed him back to us on a slab. I want to lift him up, but my hands are tied, my back broken. His death cuts into me. Out pours ooze, nameless and grey, but there’s a light his enemies forget to swallow. I close my eyes. The thought of his heart blinds me. End of poem. Credits and bio: Copyright © Lynn Tait Previously published in FreeFall 2021 Vol. XXXI No. 2: Poem was shortlisted in FreeFall’s annual contest 2020. Lynn Tait is a Toronto-born poet/photographer residing in Sarnia Ontario, land of the Aamjiwnaang First Nations. Her poems have been published in numerous journals including FreeFall, CV 2, Trinity Review, The Quarantine Review, Literary Review of Canada, Vallum, Wild Word and in over 100 anthologies world-wide. Her digital art and photography has graced the covers of 8 poetry books including Parkland Poet’s anthology for 2022. She is a member of The Ontario Poetry Society, Parkland Poets, American Academy of Poets, The League of Canadian Poets and Not-your-rodeo-poets. She signed a contract in 2021 with Guernica Editions for her poetry manuscript You Break It, You Buy It.