Poets Wear Prada is a poetry publishing house with excellent poets and affordable books with beautiful covers. Have you had your poetry today?--Meredith Sue Willis, Books for Readers * * * Stylistically, these beautifully designed and produced chapbooks bear their own distinctive signature.--Linda Lerner, SMALL PRESS REVIEW

Monday, December 1, 2014

2015 Pushcart Nomination: "Open Heart Surgery" by Geer Austin



OPEN HEART SURGERY
 

You drop into my life
like a dream of death.
Your lips are blue, and your teeth are cracked.
You puff a cigarette.
Your fingertips glow fiery red.
We go to a bar called The Bar.
You slip away from me and I stare
across the room at ghostlike reflections of myself.
You push past them heading for the exit.
I run after you.
On the street, homeless people
shout political slogans
and groups of the unemployed
try to sell their old clothes.
You dance past them —
your camera flashing at neon signs.
The glare of a streetlamp hits your blond head.
You pause underneath to light a cocktail joint
spreading your legs wide to support
the weight of the black plastic lighter you hold in your hands.
I sneak up behind you and nudge your shoulder.
You crack a joke. I’m the punch line.
We climb flights and cross landings
to reach your bed.
You fall facedown on the duvet.
I flip you over and peel back layers of clothing.
Your chest is a road map of scars —
red routes leading to your heart.
I place my hands on top of this cloverleaf.
You slip between my fingers.

 

From Geer Austin’s debut poetry collection, Cloverleaf  (Poets Wear Prada: January 28, 2014)

Geer Austin
Cloverleaf

Poets Wear Prada Announces Their 2015 Pushcart Nominations




Congratulations to our nominees!


Author
Poem
Book
Geer Austin
“Open Heart Surgery”
Cloverleaf
Michael T. Young
“The Risk of Listening to Brahms”
The Beautiful Moment 
of Being Lost
Hilary Sideris
“Learning the Blues”
Most Likely to Die
Hilary Sideris
“All God’s Dangers”
Most Likely to Die
Daniel Simpson
“Almost Drowning”
School for the Blind
George Held
“Rabbit Ways”
Culling: New & Selected
Nature Poems

We'll be posting one nominated poem each day this week


Roxy & Jack