IT FEELS LIKE EVERY TIME WE COME TOGETHER SOMEONE HAS JUST DIED// IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE COME TOGETHER WE’RE SURROUNDED BY COPS// IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME I SEE YOU SOMEONE IS AT A PODIUM UNLOCKING INTERLOCKING IDENTITIES AND I’M ALWAYS TELLING YOU HOW BEWILDERED I AM AND YOU’RE ALWAYS AGREEING AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT TAKES YEARS TO GET NEAR EACH OTHER// BUT IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE WE’RE ALWAYS AT THE BEACH, THAT THE BEACH IS PERPETUAL, EVERY TIME WE’RE THERE WE’VE NEVER LEFT IS HOW THE BEACH WELCOMES US THE PERPETUAL WAVES//
OF MOURNING// THE DOLPHINS COME IN DROVES AND THE JOKES AND THE SKIN AND WE STARE OUT AT THE HORIZON WE MAKE A LINE AND POINT AND THEY ARE COMING TOWARD US//LOOK NOW THEY’RE COMING BACK //AND HOW CAN WE BE ALWAYS AT THE BEACH IF WE’RE ALWAYS AT WORK MISSING EACH OTHER AND HOW CAN WE BE ALWAYS AT WORK IF WE’RE ALWAYS AT THE CLUB AND DOESN’T IT SEEM LIKE WE’RE ALWAYS AT THE CLUB THAT’S HOW WELCOMED BY THE CLUB AND AT THE CLUB WE’RE INSTANTANEOUS, IT SEEMS LIKE WE TURN ON THE SMALLEST OF MOMENTS AND EVERYTHING IS MOMENTOUS// OUR JEALOUSY// OUR WIGS// THE TRIANGULATION OF EVERY PARDON //SEEMS LIKE WE ALWAYS SHOW UP WITH REINFORCEMENTS// HOW PRAY, HOW GET DOWN// AND PRAY WITH YOUR SOFT MOUTH NEARING THE GROUND, HOW DEVOTIONAL CAN WE BE AT THE SANCTUARY// SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE COME TOGETHER THERE’S MUSIC// SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE COME TOGETHER THE BEAT DROPS AND////WHEN IT DROPS WE GRAB EACH OTHER AND THE WHOLE CROWD IS WHOLE AND THERE ARE HOLES IN THE AIR THROUGH WHICH THEY ARE COMING BACK AND I’M ALWAYS PLANTING MY HOLY HOLY ON SOME DADDY’S LEG AND BENDING THE FUCK OVER AND I HEART ANAL AND I HEART PISS AND I HEART BEING PUNCHED IN THE FACE BUT ONLY IF YOU MEAN IT// LOVINGLY AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE SEE EACH OTHER I TALK ABOUT SEX I’M SO SORRY I’M SO SO SORRY I’M AFFLICTED WITH LOVE I’M AFFLICTED WITH HOLES OUT OF WHICH POUR LOVE THAT RIPS THE AIR WE STARE THROUGH //RIPS IT// OPEN //AND THE POET TOLD ME TO GO LIKE THIS WITH MY HAND AND THINK //OPEN// WHEN I SAW MY EX BOYFRIEND WITH HIS CURRENT BOYFRIEND AT THE CLUB //AND WHEN I THINK //OPEN// I DO AND MY LOVE RIPS THE AIR OPEN AND WE ARE STARING THROUGH// WAITING FOR THE RETURN OF// THE DOLPHINS WE STARE SO HARD WE STRAIN AND STRAIN UNTIL ONE OF US POINTS AGAIN// THEY’RE BACK, LOOK HERE THEY COME THEY’RE COMING BACK// AND WE’RE ALWAYS LIKE WHERE IS //CASSIE // WHERE IS SHE? DID SHE LEAVE? AND I CAN NEVER HEAR YOU OVER THE MUSIC//WHO?!!!// IT’S PRINCE// DEARLY BELOVEDS WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY// IT’S RIHANNA// YOU TAKE ME HIGHER HIGHER THAN I’VE EVER BEEN// THE PIXIES// TAKE OFF THEM RINGS OFF THEM HOES AND LEVITATE ME// IT SEEMS LIKE WE ALWAYS SHOUT NEVERMIND AND KEEP DANCING AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY SONG IS OUR SONG IT SEEMS LIKE I’M ALWAYS SAYING OH SHIT THIS IS MY SONG AND AND WHAT IS DISARMING MY HEART OF ALL STAIN IF NOT THE BEAUTIFUL COMING BACK AND ALL THE BOYS NEXT TO ME ARE SCREAMING// THE SONG AND ALL THE GIRLS NEXT TO ME ARE SCREAMING THE SONG AND ALL THE BABES ARE AND ALL ARE TWIRLING// THEY’RE DOING THE DEATH DROP AND WE DON’T CALL IT DEATH DROP BECAUSE THEY’RE DYING// THEY’RE NOT FUCKING DYING //THEY’RE DEFYING MUSCULATURE THEY’RE DEFYING LAWS OF PHYSICS, WE’RE GASPING, DISBELIEVING, AND MY EX BOYFRIEND’S BOYFRIEND IS ON STAGE TOSSING HER WIG AND HER HAND IS STRAIGHT UP ABOVE HER LINE OF CENTER AND I //OPEN// AND I LOVE HER AND WE ALWAYS EXPECT IT AND IT ALWAYS DEFIES EXPECTATIONS AND SHE DROPS AND THE AIR // OPENS// AND DEFIES DEATH //ALL THESE BABES WITH THEIR DEATH DROPS// AND WHEN IT DROPS WE GRAB EACH OTHER.

Caitie Moore‘s poetry can be found in her chapbook Wife (Argos Books, 2014), No, Dear, Sink Review, Brandon Shimoda’s Ancients, No. Two and The Racial Imaginary: Writers on Race and the Life of the Mind (Fence Books, 2015) .