A Portrait of the Artist as I Hate You
Honey, what was it—my original stinking sin?
When, thick-tongued and fangless, I hungered to be seen
from all angles, how could you take those pipe dreams
to mean Psycho, shower scene?
Was I too tender for you? You left me slow and lowly.
Fall off the bone. Forked up wholly holey
to my febrile fibers. What other grub daydreams
of filling up your belly?
Come REM, come starry comas sopped in sepia,
how come you keep on slipping past my sleepier
defenses, the walk-on cameo of my dreams?
Cast me. I’d play it creepier.
If I were you? Sin would sun, blisters unblue
to blusters, everything indrawn bloom into
blank sheets. Untouched. If you (in your dreams’ dreams)
were me, you’d hate you too
and gratefully, hate to be granted a way with words,
away-with-murder words, a wave dragged shorewards
dredging the unconscious, a wasting away of dreams
to silt, salt, sea-sharp shards,
who’s crying over that? So what if life’s long
and lullabying as a Ramones song
—that remains to be unseen, rewound in dreams
where this time I’m strong, strong
as the black box the crash coughs up to keep
one record of the wreckage stashed, coffin-deep,
for the rest of our days. Deep as those charmed dreams
where all I do is sleep.
Thank you for reading The Nation!
We hope you enjoyed the story you just read. It’s just one of many examples of incisive, deeply-reported journalism we publish—journalism that shifts the needle on important issues, uncovers malfeasance and corruption, and uplifts voices and perspectives that often go unheard in mainstream media. For nearly 160 years, The Nation has spoken truth to power and shone a light on issues that would otherwise be swept under the rug.
In a critical election year as well as a time of media austerity, independent journalism needs your continued support. The best way to do this is with a recurring donation. This month, we are asking readers like you who value truth and democracy to step up and support The Nation with a monthly contribution. We call these monthly donors Sustainers, a small but mighty group of supporters who ensure our team of writers, editors, and fact-checkers have the resources they need to report on breaking news, investigative feature stories that often take weeks or months to report, and much more.
There’s a lot to talk about in the coming months, from the presidential election and Supreme Court battles to the fight for bodily autonomy. We’ll cover all these issues and more, but this is only made possible with support from sustaining donors. Donate today—any amount you can spare each month is appreciated, even just the price of a cup of coffee.
The Nation does not bow to the interests of a corporate owner or advertisers—we answer only to readers like you who make our work possible. Set up a recurring donation today and ensure we can continue to hold the powerful accountable.
Thank you for your generosity.
