tenderness for romeo
- tenderness for romeo
tenderness for romeo
in high school he wants to diefor a girl. it's natural. there's
something missing in the architectureof his chest & death is only
natural. he learns in english classa hundred metaphors for it: death
is a rose, a rich wine, an apple.what he takes from this
is that death is red, his favoritecolor. he invites a girl
to the valentine's day dancewith a note written on red
construction paper. it's cutinto the shape of a heart. at
the end of the night he kisses herin a dark corner of the gym
& he feels ready die. he's not sureif he's happy or sad but he knows
the feeling's natural, likehunger. there's something
rattling around in his chestlike an earring or a spare key [End Page 98]
& there's nothing else to do.when he calls her later
he'll call the feeling indescribable& she'll take it as a compliment.
she'll write his name in cursiveon both wrists & knit him
a red scarf. he'll wear it & think of itas a metaphor for love: love
is a sprig of winterberry, somethingred around the neck. it's
a piece of raw red meat, he'll think,beaten just a little. [End Page 99]
Patrick Kindig teaches writing and American literature at Indiana University. He is the author of the chapbook all the catholic gods (Seven Kitchens Press 2019) and the micro-chapbook Dry Spell (Porkbelly Press 2016), and his poems have recently appeared in Copper Nickel, Shenandoah, Washington Square Review, and other journals.
