Simmer
I've played with matches long enough
you'd think I knew better.
Instead I grabbed a hold of you,
and with enough force to eat
an entire forest,
pulled you into me.
I expected you to burn with me,
to ignite the world around us
so that we could play in the ashes
together.
I didn't expect
that you would be water,
and teach me to simmer.
Lynne Schmidt (she/her) is a mental health professional in Maine. Her unpublished memoir, The Right to Live: A Memoir of Abortion has received Maine Nonfiction Award and was a 2018 PNWA finalist, while her poetry has received the Editor's Choice Award for her poem, Baxter, from Frost Meadow Review, and her chapbook, Dead Dog Poems, was honorable mention from Pub House Books. Her work has appeared in Soft Cartel, RESIST/RECLAIM, Royal Rose, Maine Dog Magazine, Alyss Literary, Her Kind Vida, and others. When given the choice, Lynne prefers the company of her three dogs and one cat to humans.
She is a regular contributor for Marias at Sampaguitas.
Twitter: @LynneSchmidt @Abortion Chat
Facebook: Lynn(e) Schmidt
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