tag:nsfw by Wyeth Leslie

sometimes the need for contact spills over me

as cold cream blurs into steaming coffee

or fingernails dissolve along the back of necks

but nothing cures when all the skin playing

on all the screens or even late-night chats that keep

you awake just to see your phone light up once more

can’t cover longing can’t cover what light reveals

when in mourning and your bed is only half-full

it’s the weight of sex but it’s more than sex

it’s lingering words but it’s more than words

and I know how kiss and release can become

a physical placebo how all you want is the skin

of someone who can strip you naked

with intimate questions just for you

and their absence will rest as heavy as bruises

that linger like the thrum of laundromats

when you’re already tired

from the language of machines

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An MFA graduate from Oklahoma State University, Wyeth Leslie (he/him) is a poet and author interested in pop culture, technology, and beauty in the mundane. His writings have been featured in publications such as The Vital Sparks, Lost Futures, The Daily Drunk, and Haywire Magazine. He can be found staring into the abyss on Twitter: @Wyeth_was_here