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MERGE LITERARY MAGAZINE
CLARINDA

By Gary Johnston
 
Clarinda danced naked
Before the mirror
Pouring heart
Earth & flowers
Into frost, ice &
 
Lying sideways to moon mist
She would gather
Seedlings, love lies bleeding
Black-eyed Susans
Sip another lover & pretend
 
Dance Clarinda
The audience
Of shimmering go
High hat applause
Reveal no scars, the empty drink
That is your lover
 
Dance Clarinda
Nights rest on you heavy
The plantings you gather
Follow rituals of pain
Thorns cut as calcified bone
They fall late in the morning
From your bed
 
Dance Clarinda
They will leave no lies
To rest between your legs.
 



  • HOME ISSUE #3
  • Mission and Content
  • About US
  • POETRY AND PROSE
  • BLACK MUSIC PHOTO ESSAY
  • ESSAYS ARTICLES AND FICTION
  • VISUAL ART GALLERY
  • BIOGRAPHIES
  • SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
  • Support Merge Literary Magazine
  • ISSUE #2 CELEBRATING BLACK WOMEN
  • FEATURED WRITERS AND ARTISTS
  • MERGE LITERARY MAGAZINE PRINT EDITION
  • Mission and Content
  • About US
  • POETRY
  • ESSAYS ARTICLES AND FICTION
  • Multimedia Art Review
  • PHOTOGRAPHY CELEBRATING BLACK WOMEN
  • ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
  • WRITERS AND ARTISTS BIOS
  • SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
  • ISSUE #1 POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
    • Mission and Content
    • About US
    • POETRY
    • PROSE
    • ART ILLUSTRATION
    • ESSAYS AND PLAY
    • MULTI-MEDIA QUILT REVIEW
    • WRITERS AND ARTISTS BIOS
    • SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
    • Support Merge Literary Magazine