Three Poems

Emily as Blood Grass

The battle is beneath us, internal
& spread all over the lawn, registered
in our nature to be the simplest seed

& that scattering is what heartbeats
the rain to raise us from even the shallow
dirt in the back, where the dogs destroy

everything, never bring anything back
whole. If we believed that bird calls
were songs, we would not fear

their beaks, we would not attempt
to grow all over the property, to be
basic, free to overwhelm the land.

Emily as the Direction the Flock is Headed

Raging together, I have known women that left
without reason. I have known many women​

that left because I asked them to. Now, when I
see Emily, moving in the direction the flock is headed,

I complete the weather to confuse them all. I would
welcome them all back, if Emily stayed the longest.

Emily as Lit from Beneath

​Tower, I leap
& I leap into
the traffic

​of your lashing
heaven,
the scissors

​of your decision
to be mountain
& moving target.

​In the valley,
beneath you,
I have friends

​that are birds
that say you
are only a girl

​& though I
believe them,
I believe

​the shining
found you
for me to follow.

---

​​Darren C. Demaree is living in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and children. He is the author of As We Refer to Our Bodies (Spring 2013) and Not For Art Nor Prayer (2014), both forthcoming from 8th House Publishing House. He is the recipient of two Pushcart Prize nominations.