Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Wayne Holloway-Smith

Love Minus Love

Love Minus Love

Love Minus Love

can still be love if you
hold it up to the light     
at the exact right angle –
diamonds winking off its
underside same yellow as
the fox dead and mine in
the one breath I denied
myself staring down its
dragged open chest its
stomach a smirk dumped
in the recycling bin
Clapham road side I go
too far often since first I
saw you whip your fringe
on the dance floor I’m
finding tumours in each
place I put my finger I’m
picking them out my
minestrone soup my
lentil and tomato stew
before I put spoonfuls of
it in my body I’m crying
at the speed of cars
nowadays into every
hopeless piece of myself
– O Sarah what it takes
to stay alive I can’t       die
well if you’re dancing
Close

Love Minus Love

can still be love if you
hold it up to the light     
at the exact right angle –
diamonds winking off its
underside same yellow as
the fox dead and mine in
the one breath I denied
myself staring down its
dragged open chest its
stomach a smirk dumped
in the recycling bin
Clapham road side I go
too far often since first I
saw you whip your fringe
on the dance floor I’m
finding tumours in each
place I put my finger I’m
picking them out my
minestrone soup my
lentil and tomato stew
before I put spoonfuls of
it in my body I’m crying
at the speed of cars
nowadays into every
hopeless piece of myself
– O Sarah what it takes
to stay alive I can’t       die
well if you’re dancing

Love Minus Love

Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère