The Hug
“I’ll come to you” they say
over the barrel of traffic,
a black and yawning wind
and I hear it, every syllable,
i-will-come-to-you
and they come
against the cold, the yellow
lines, the screaming cars,
They run what feels like
forever, red hair
ballooned around
a laughing face
All day I am shaken,
sitting in the lonely of
my shame, my sickness
my body marred by judgment
i will come to you
i will come to you
i will come
and then, the hug
yes, the hug
oh god
the religion of touch.
Dani Janae is a poet and journalist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her work has been published by Longleaf Review, Pittsburgh Poetry Journal, Palette Poetry, Slush Pile Magazine, and others. Her manuscript, Express Desire, was a finalist for the 2023 CAAPP Book Prize.
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