Song

By HONOR MOORE

 

Of sheets and skin and fur of him,

bed of ground and river, of land,

or tongue, of arms, the wanton field,

of flame and flowers, stalk of him,

harp, arboreal, steep and rush.

House him in the coil of my hair,

silk of him and open sea, flood, star,

toes of him, stickiness, of flesh.

Rind of him, gaze, of salt and heat,

face, food and blade, island in bright

bloom, bristle, blossom, all this night

lie long with him as dark flies fleet.

Transparent, filled up, emptied out,

here of him, here I find his mouth.

 

 

Honor Moore is the author of three collections of poetry, Red Shoes, Darling, and Memoir.

Click here to purchase Issue 01

From the beginning, The Common has brought you transportive writing and exciting new voices. We are committed to supporting writers and maintaining free, unrestricted access to our website, but we can’t do it without you. Become an integral part of our global community of readers and writers by donating today. No amount is too small. Thank you!

Song

Related Posts

May 2026 Poetry Feature: Arielle Hebert, from Bottom Feeders

ARIELLE HEBERT
Home again at the water’s edge, / palms dancing in salt breeze. / I take a too-deep breath / and the air prickles my lungs / like an unfiltered cigarette. / Only the tourists are swimming, / coughing through the algal bloom, / eyes bloodshot and skin burning.

Portrait of Daniel Tobin in front of low trees

The Grave Fox

DANIEL TOBIN
No kindred of an earth, it must stalk alone, / or scavenge what the visitants leave behind. // or bird’s eggs, rabbits, the odd neighborhood / cat wandered over from some nearby home. / Its tail affects the lilt of a semaphore; its pelt // a finish of rust in sunlight.

Supermarketing

LAUREN DELAPENHA
For example, the last time I asked God / to kill me I was among the lemons, remembering // the preacher saying, God is a God who is able / to hunger. I wonder, // aren’t we all here for that fast / communion of a stranger reaching // for the same hydroponic melon?