Rose Mary Boehm is a German-born British national living and writing in Lima, Peru, and author of two novels as well as eight poetry collections. Her poetry has been published widely in mostly US poetry reviews (online and print). She was three times nominated for a ‘Pushcart’ and once for ‘Best of Net’. DO OCEANS HAVE UNDERWATER BORDERS? (Kelsay Books July 2022), WHISTLING IN THE DARK (Cyberwit July 2022), and SAUDADE (December 2022) are available on Amazon. Also available on Amazon is a new collection, LIFE STUFF, published by Kelsay Books November 2023. https://www.rose-mary-boehm-poet.com/

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A Marriage

The rain girl
lives in her dreams,
and in a house without a roof,
where mushrooms push
through the carpet,
and a beehive is forcing
its tumorous growth
through the piano strings.

As weightless as a new soul
she stares at him in distress.
And why would she remember
lightness now?

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The Collector

finds them in bars,
parks, buses, the underground
or coffee shops;

he frequents downtown
pole-dance joints, picks up
blondes, brunettes or curly blacks.

Long legs, ample behinds,
he’s not choosy. All have one
thing in common: they talk.
Too much.

Somewhere in Soho they stagger
down those stairs
on dizzying heels,
click-clacking their way
into his basement. Call him
affectionately ‘Nutter’,

make themselves comfortable.
He smiles, puts his finger
to his lips and readies
the little machine. Pushes
the button and records
ten minutes of their silent breathing.

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While I prepare lunch, my lover sulks

He’s been clouding over for a couple
of days now. If only the storm were breaking.
I am 45 and fed up.

While I am cubing the onions he opens
another beer. I wipe my nose and cheeks
with the back of my hand. More weeping.

Attacking the tomatoes I’m beginning
to feel in control. I stick my sharpest
knife into the belly of the mackerel
and slice through muscle and skin.

My face is distorted in the bowl
of crimson water. My hand slides
into that silver body, empties
it of all life. When I feel his breath
in my neck I turn.

Knife in my bloody hands
I am ready to excise the boil.