Adam Hart
Wisp
1.
You say faggot like it’s a bad thing.
Let me tell you something–kick back
and light me up,
roll me round your mouth
like you know all about oral fixations.
Crisp papers, filter for conversation–
I am all inhale-and-exhale, inhale-and-exhale.
Tar and leaf and funk.
Wrap your hands round my waist,
trace fingers along seams,
and suck me in, warmth,
blow out vapors into night air.
You say you don’t want this,
this need and crave
fuck hot lust want
but your lips say something else
clicking together in seedy, hazy backroom bars,
smacking anticipation.
Puff, and I am your
fingers eyes hair nose lungs,
coursing veins,
your heart skipping beats
your brain saying
Damn.
I am more than Marlboro Man.
Grab on and I’ll show you smoldering ash
left over from the Big Bang.
2.
I...
This is not me.
I want more than this nicotine crowd,
forced out into cold Chicago afternoons
for quick fix.
This group shunned like unpopular kids
who chose Morrissey over Brian Adams
for his
one November, spawned a monster in the shape of this child.
David McLean was hot and saddle sexy
till he died of the cancer
and Marlboro mystique went away, a wisp.
So when you say faggot,
I guess you mean it in the queer way,
Joe Jackson singing ‘bout
real men leather shine,
and it has nothing to do with rolling papers
smoke, spilt tobacco seed.
Filter what we need
from language, from sense of wanting
belonging to popular kids, marginalized crowds,
whatever it takes to feel better about our words.
Reclaim, recycle, reuse
repeat until bitter taste of all
ash and blood and screaming tar
Faggot. Yes, sir. Faggot! Yes, Sir!
has left our systems, and we can
for once
fresh breathe easy.
1.
You say faggot like it’s a bad thing.
Let me tell you something–kick back
and light me up,
roll me round your mouth
like you know all about oral fixations.
Crisp papers, filter for conversation–
I am all inhale-and-exhale, inhale-and-exhale.
Tar and leaf and funk.
Wrap your hands round my waist,
trace fingers along seams,
and suck me in, warmth,
blow out vapors into night air.
You say you don’t want this,
this need and crave
fuck hot lust want
but your lips say something else
clicking together in seedy, hazy backroom bars,
smacking anticipation.
Puff, and I am your
fingers eyes hair nose lungs,
coursing veins,
your heart skipping beats
your brain saying
Damn.
I am more than Marlboro Man.
Grab on and I’ll show you smoldering ash
left over from the Big Bang.
2.
I...
This is not me.
I want more than this nicotine crowd,
forced out into cold Chicago afternoons
for quick fix.
This group shunned like unpopular kids
who chose Morrissey over Brian Adams
for his
one November, spawned a monster in the shape of this child.
David McLean was hot and saddle sexy
till he died of the cancer
and Marlboro mystique went away, a wisp.
So when you say faggot,
I guess you mean it in the queer way,
Joe Jackson singing ‘bout
real men leather shine,
and it has nothing to do with rolling papers
smoke, spilt tobacco seed.
Filter what we need
from language, from sense of wanting
belonging to popular kids, marginalized crowds,
whatever it takes to feel better about our words.
Reclaim, recycle, reuse
repeat until bitter taste of all
ash and blood and screaming tar
Faggot. Yes, sir. Faggot! Yes, Sir!
has left our systems, and we can
for once
fresh breathe easy.
Adam W. Hart is a poet, writer and queer agitator originally hailing from Ohio. A resident of Chicago since 1997, he has performed in numerous venues, including readings for the Homolatte series, The Encyclopedia Show, at the Center on Halsted, Links Hall, and at a “Dudes Who Dig Dykes” Dyke Mic 2.0 show. His poetry has been published in the After Hours and Hobble Creek Review literary magazines. Hart is the former publisher/editor of Apparatus Magazine (www.apparatusmagazine.com; still archived online), and is the owner/publisher of Cold Brew Press (www.coldbrewpress.com; launching soon), a small press publisher devoted to poetry, fiction, flash fiction, comic books, graphic novels, board/card games and collectibles for readers, gamers and pop culture enthusiasts who value challenging ideas and stories. Part of CBP’s mission will be highlighting new voices across typically underrepresented communities (LGBTQ+, BIPOC, allies, etc.