Runaway
This crown of feathers
masked strangers
bestowed upon me
makes my eyes itch
to the point of tears,
tears that roll down
my cheeks
and find the corners
of my mouth,
my silent tongue
drinking greedily of them,
tasting the secrets
of those strangers
who offer trinkets
to children
willingly lost
from their homes.
To Suffer A Nightmare Alone
A pinprick of red light,
flashing on, off,
at the very limit
of my vision,
is helping me fight slumber
as I sit at the curtain-less window,
waiting for the night
to become day,
for no other reason
than with our bed
no longer ours
I would rather not risk sleep
and the dreams
that shake me awake,
crying for safety,
with you not there
to anchor me
in the drowning panic
of those first few seconds
of confused wakefulness.
I smell the ghost
of your cigarettes,
that smell I never liked,
nor the chewing gum that always failed
to hide their taint,
and find myself imagining
that flashing light
at the limit of my vision
could be the tip of a cigarette
smoked by some distant stranger watching me,
as I attempt to not miss you
and the taste of cigarettes and chewing gum
on your tongue.
Edward Lee's poetry, short stories, non-fiction and photography have been published in magazines in Ireland, England and America, including The Stinging Fly, Skylight 47, Acumen and Smiths Knoll. His play ‘Wall’ was part of Druid Theatre’s Druid Debuts 2020. His debut poetry collection "Playing Poohsticks On Ha'Penny Bridge" was published in 2010. He is currently working towards a second collection.
He also makes musical noise under the names Ayahuasca Collective, Orson Carroll, Lego Figures Fighting, and Pale Blond Boy.
His blog/website can be found at https://edwardmlee.wordpress.com