"Haunt" and other work by Erin Jamieson
Haunt
Our house glitters
with glass shards
iridescent, longing-
lives intertwining
just for a moment
Spritz of lavender perfume
in cavernous rooms
where a splintered dresser
collects dust
your bleak reflection
aftershave on cracked tiles
Is this the home we live in
or haunt?
When did our shadows
overtake limbs & flesh?
Grime
on these nights, the sky tastes like ashes
& I collect rainwater in a rusted can
turpid, muddy brown as if dripping
the embers of our soil, our neglect
even though we are bathed in moonlight
we see it: the neglected in the ethereal
the grime that deposits
into shimmering shadows
Erin Jamieson (she/her) holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Miami University. Her writing has been published in over eighty literary magazines, including a Pushcart Prize nomination. She is the author of a poetry collection (Clothesline, NiftyLit, Feb 2023). Her latest poetry chapbook, Fairytales, was published by Bottlecap Press. Twitter: @erin_simmer