inertia

[cn // assault, consent themes]

By: Jei Degenhardt

shouldn’t serve as an answer, a response

or provocation

It is not a returning or a door ajar

should not be

controversial. Anyway

it was the kind of thing

that barely happened.

. . .

—It’s possible to be too kind

you know

. . .

I long for an efferent silence or an idle, idle

dream

in the forest in a chamber is a briar rose

that never stopped wilting

suppose there’s such a thing as dwelling. Not a

slip through a door, through a dress

through a shirt a pocket

dangerous: a slip on glass. yes, at midnight

everything becomes real.

. . .

suppose any shape in a dark room is a figure is

a human object

peripheral

. . .

suppose you run a hand over me and one of two things happens

suppose I cut your thumb

suppose I crumble

Jei Degenhardt was born in Manchester, where they no longer live. Their writing can also be found in Stirred Press, the Young Poets Network, Bad Kid Catullus, and other places. They are on twitter @jeidegenhardt