Written by: Jeanne Polochansky
kiss me once, kiss me twice,
kiss me ’til the ice has thawed
between our throats, my one
i want to hear those favourite words you say
not with my ears, but with the way
you press your fingers to my bones
as if i am a piece of stone
or marble, clay
you’re no hunter, you’re a fool –
you gave your lips, your skin, your eyes
to me you knew
all i could give you was my spear
my dear
мой дорогой,
i want to stay in this embrace, my cheek
uncoy against your neck, its notch
our tired eyelids slipping shut
forgetting withered wings and rings
whose glow was a façade; i made a god
so you’d believe in me
our hair, asplay, a dream –
like strawberries that taste of sooty breaths
you and i can only ever be
a bloody death
Jeanne Polochansky is an undergraduate psychology student at the University of Toronto, and a locally, nationally, and internationally published poet. Alongside writing, she also edits and selects pieces for journals and participates in various literary initiatives. Her poems often stem from her experience as a first-generation Kazakh-Canadian and fine arts student. To view her full list of publications and what she’s working on now, check out thejovialpoet.home.blog or @/thejovialpoet on IG.
Mnerva Literary Journal 