Evan J. Peterson

after Mysterious Skin, directed 2004 by Gregg Araki

Coach spills cereal. The floor is a nebula of vibrant planets.
Blue light. Homeruns, star players, angels. He lays you down
in the mess; this is how he loves you. Swallow. Cradled
in crunch, the artificial colors. His mouth is big enough to
This is how to love someone [weight of the adult body] Straight
outta the ballpark. Pressing you, cereal beneath crackling.
Recorded voice tape recorded playtime lost time. Blackouts. Cereal.
Your whole arm disappearing His body tries to eat you pull you in
[Precious] Crumbling slower than if ground between teeth

Posted 08/06/10

This piece was a finalist for the Juked poetry prize. Originally published in a different form, I decided that it didn't fit in the full-length book. Instead, it's available in my chapzine, Secular Exorcisms. Email me if you'd like one of those.