ceremonial of spouse

late-night breakfasts waited up
between time to traded chairs
moth-bitten kisses broken cup
to share

hard-pressed counter sweats
and ∞ wishes barreled stare
teething packs silver cigarettes
to share

with living destroyed luck bare
passed long-lasting rib to share

sex: guilty

living cockroaches
transform metropolitan
prized virginity

fucking poem 

down sweating passion
      raise catholicism up
              to meet shattered middle

vodka-crippled hands
      sliding up addict blades
              thrust broken nails

permit exhilaration on creamy
      slaps and coarse-botched curls
              with freshly dipped regret

penetrate long family guilt past
      other pursed frozen pipes that
              spread over minty mouths

then with a flick colonized
      with ass aching for fevers
              to sink substances

into awaiting stepfamily
      head ghosts forward
              to assist release souls’ rapture

preference to push bullets
      shamed by thick hands
              extend powerful ecstasy

while imprints angel’s palms
      holding hard onto heart cheeks
              bed begin quickly manifesting

forgotten fluids fly over
      dropping out strength
              frenzied underrated friction

persistent caress of the explosives
      rapid pounding by damned
              ignites townie mice instinct

finally expelling cult contraband of climax
      all over piss and sand dunes
              electric juice that was a strawberry patch

between intertwined less money intimates
      added now no school waited wanting
              that only enhanced our forbidden virginity

KRISTINE ESSER SLENTZ is a queer, experimental poet from northwest Indiana and the Chicagoland area. KRISTINE is a Purdue University alum who double-majored in English literature and creative writing. After earning her undergraduate degree, she worked in the digital marketing field for seven years to marry her experience in both writing and advertising. During this time, she also wrote pieces for publications like HuffPost, Pattern, and NUVO. Currently, KRISTINE is earning her MFA in creative writing (poetry) at City College of New York (CCNY). She is the Assistant Editor for the online poetry publication and press Unfold Magazine and Folded Word. She is also the Features Manager for the poet’s community The Speakeasy Project and an organizer in CCNY’s MFA reading series. Some places her poetry has appeared in include Yes Poetry, Moonchild Magazine, and Flying Island Journal where she was nominated for a 2017 Pushcart Prize. KRISTINE has also been interviewed by Persephone’s Daughters and Luna Luna Magazine. KRISTINE primarily writes about queerness, feminine sexuality, sexual abuse, and religious oppression.