1 by mark cugini

Image By Peter Cole Friedman

from I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE


NOT A VERB, IT'S YOU LOOKING

Imagine a row house that all eight
of your last lovers are squatting in— 
imagine all of their t-shirts smelling
exactly like the best worst parts
of you, and then imagine your
high school crush doing the Macarena
before falling through a trap
door and being eaten by alligators.
Think about the last time you
thought you were eating alone, and
then think about what I mean when
I ask you for a hair tie—this isn’t
really a re-run, is what I’m saying.
I want to hang a rope swing
off your nose and I want to
get to know your floorboard, and
then I want to kiss you hard, like
there’s a prize at the bottom.
There’s a pocket mirror
lodged between my chest—  
if you look at it close enough,
it’ll show you every camera
angle that makes you look like
a Groupon for half-priced snow cones.
Show me how to download your
doubts and show me the secret
folder where you save all of
your embarrassing tattoos,
and then show me where
we can click left and click left and
click left until you know
that there's never been a time
when you weren't the most
beautiful thing ever made.

MARK CUGINI is the author of I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE (Ink Press 2014). His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Hobart, Sink, Barrelhouse, Fanzine, Everyday Genius, and other publications. He is a founding editor of Big Lucks, a contributor at HTMLGiant, and a curator of the THREE TENTS reading series in Washington, DC.  Visit him at markcugini.com.