When You Saw Me by Gordon Taylor

February 8, 2023
Poem title: When You Saw Me Poet name: Gordon Taylor Poem: We sat in our silver Volkswagen discussing us, on a windy day by the lake with the wipers on, spray slapping windshield, glass clearing and closing like minds. Should we build a new fortress of driftwood, watch a procession of sighing waves, grey scarves bound to each other or just go home? We spent this last-ditch afternoon, summoning an answer in our bed, limbs tangling and making, backs sweat sheened, chest hair matted, mouths joined in frustration. Afterward you slept. I imagined your dream— falling underwater— a whitewash when you looked up at sun hitting the surface—underside of a reflection— a new way of seeing. I smoothed your shoulder. Your left foot flapped against the sheet— a dull grey bass on a dock, drowning in air. End of poem. Credits and bio: Copyright © Gordon Taylor Gordon Taylor (he/him) is a queer poet who walks an ever-swaying wire of technology, health care and poetry. His poems have appeared in or are forthcoming in Grain, Rattle, Event, Banshee, Descant and Plenitude. In his spare time Gordon is a volunteer reader for Five South Magazine.