Vocal fry
A candlelight vigil but instead of Ecoya it’s
electronic flickers attempting transmission across
beat up phone screens
How “cowboy” was my Tinder bio for six months
and every man with good sense messaged to ask
if I could ride him like a donkey
yes / no
While crossing a red light I toss a soft broken shell
into a bin that is not recycling
Diet Coke consumed elegant as a tea-pouring ceremony
My fridge is a symphony of
wilting vegetables in freezing temperatures buzzing
like a greasy exhale
Using my leather bound Moleskine
just to scrawl in some illegible shopping lists
I’m good at cheapening wine skins
killing the moment with a Cupid’s bow and arrow
How about the terrible sex in public toilets
every evening I stalked the girl you were sleeping with back in 2013
and stared at her present day selfies
ruining our tender moment
by asking if she made you happy
Vanessa Mei Crofskey is an artist and writer based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Her essays can be found at the Pantograph Punch, and her latest collection of poetry is available in AUP New Poets 6. She can be found lying dead in a ditch called the Internet.
