Richie Smith
Bio:
Richie Smith is a New York City writer and physician. His work has appeared in ducts.org, 580 Split, The Briar Cliff Review, Confrontation, The Dos Passos Review, Eleven Eleven, Forge, G.W. Review, Mudfish, Quiddity and other publications. He is currently completing his first novel. Readers are invited to visit his website: richiesmithwriter.com or listen to his audio files on SoundCloud: RichieSmith.
Catarrh of Discord
Catarrh of discord
once dry as bone
discord
she signs consent
Cat rh+ cord
I hand her pajamas
Cat of dis
robing behind frosted glass
ata discord
this blowhole has a pressure valve
Catarrh of disco rd
barometers descend with a lover's shallow breaths
C of discord
in c---urare paralysis
Catarrh of discord
anoxic staleness tastes of distilled water
I am Placenta
I am the afterbirth,
the never sacred mound of flesh
rolled from the womb
engorged like an afterthought,
pungency stripped
from the dark-sided disc of mama’s breast.
Or was it a trophoblast
in a parchment pouch?
Deli meat for the faculty
of ex-vitro stoop-plated
shredded cold, Herculean blue
pilfering leeches,
spigots draining
siphoning up torn tears.
A year ago, she left me
denuded and alone, dredging memories
with a sickle and a sieve.
Reminds me how it feels
to be a porous sponge
discarded with the bathwater.
