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Starr Davis
For the Man Who Punched the Guy Who Groped Me on the 2 Train
Tell me, when you saw the old man touch me
Did I remind you of your sister?
Did I look as naked as he made me feel?
The smells of abandonment on my neck, as it jerked
When your fist meets his jaw, and he fell
When the woman spills her coffee, and
The next stop is announced and
I look at you and you at me
Tell me, maybe we are soulmates?
When you rush off the train, the
drag of your dreads as the door closes
I think I miss you
If I asked your name would you tell me
If I were to kiss your knuckles would you allow me?
I've never been rescued before
would you believe that?
If I tell you to go back with me twenty years or tomorrow
Would you do it for me, again?
On My Nightstand
Chinese food I ordered two days ago
A plan b pill I bought this morning
There is no space for my Bible
I need it next to me for provision
Glass of water to christen the cure
There are no breaks when I swallow
Soy sauce packets and Altoids.
A clumsy condom
The shirt you peeled off me that missed the floor
The gold chain you never take off, over the lampshade
The syllables in your name
are enough for a haiku
Broke my celibacy in half for you
I balanced the stars on your back,
watched the river run dry on my skin
An inkless pen, balled napkins
The backs to my earrings
Your dead phone, on top of
notebook full of dead words
On top of the mess
The light runs dark inside my belly
When I Talked to My Ex-Boyfriend About How to Pick Fruit
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Starr Davis is a poet, playwright and professional writer whose work has been featured in multiple literary magazines such as The Rumpus, Cosmonauts Avenue, and Transition Magazine. Her monologues, poetry, and short stories have awarded her literary fellowships such as The Brooklyn Poets Fellowship, Slice Literary Conference Fellowship, and The Eckerd College Scholarship. An MFA graduate from City College of New York, her work has been performed at The Billie Holiday Theatre, The CUNY Graduate Center, and Nuyorican Poets Café. She currently lives in the Bronx, NY.