Jack-and-ginger drunk, dizzy cold
swaying in the parking lot.
This is the only story I know:
Hangover breakfast—aspirin and black coffee
on the fly—walk-of-shaming last night’s heels back home.
I rose from bed a watering hole, the opening line to a story
I don’t know yet—Why would I smudge you out, he said,
when I can’t even see your edges?
So smudge me out, a hum his ear; this is the only story I know.
I rose from bed a watering hole: this opening line.
[+]
Allie Marini Batts holds degrees from both Antioch
University of Los Angeles and New College of
Florida, meaning she can explain deconstructionism,
but cannot perform simple math. Her work has
been a finalist for Best of the Net and nominated
for the Pushcart Prize. She is managing editor
for the NonBinary Review of Zoetic Press, and
has previously served on the masthead for Lunch
Ticket, Spry Literary Journal, The Weekenders
Magazine, Mojave River Review, and The
Bookshelf Bombshells. Allie is the author of
the poetry chapbooks, "You Might Curse Before
You Bless" (ELJ Publications, 2013) "Unmade
& Other Poems," (Beautysleep Press, 2013)
and "This Is How We End" (forthcoming 2014,
Bitterzoet.)
