Two Short Poems: “Lumens” and “Life-Guard”
Lumens
Lumens dance
in straining eyes
upon a yawn.
Don’t fawn at me.
Disregard me
but do not defray
the width of your hips
though you traverse
the Caeneid way.
Spin back through time
to the day you were born
to find it out —
how were you born? —
and rewind the clock
and play it back,
the rephrased tune,
and make the lumens
dance for you.
Life-Guard
Content disclaimer: Veiled mention of domestic violence.
High alert. Let’s report
how the water moves today
beneath the light and beneath
our gaze. Let’s discuss
the many ways the arms go flailing
through the baby waves
that spill into the gutters
and over the trays. A woman kicks,
her kneecaps breaking through
the stilled waters, while her
husband’s hands slip and slap,
making ripples. Let’s stop to consider
the steady trickle of blood
running out her nose.



Poet’s Notes
The first poem refers to the myth of Caenis/Caeneus. The second poem was one of that I wrote in between lifeguarding shifts at the pool where I work, hence its title and some of its content.
Let me know in the comments what you thought about either of these short poems, or both. If you enjoyed them, you might also enjoy my two very short poems, “Mask” and “Dieting.”
And thank you for reading! If you enjoyed these poems, I’d really appreciate if you left me a tip on Ko-fi so I can keep creating as much as possible for you.

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You engraved the poetry so well. Definitely an inspiration to write more. Thanks for sharing❤
You’re welcome and thank you for these kind words! I really appreciate this.