BY MEGAN MARKHAM
A series of poems. Copyright is held by the author.
Raise A Glass to Summer
I sat in the bath til it ran cold reflecting in my way as a local potion the bar called a martini reminded me that my veins held magic.
Earlier at the pub, I laughed recklessly and loved mercilessly.
I spoke with joy shining through my skin under the cracked dusty bar lights acting like I was atop a red velvet throne rather than this cracked pleather pub bench.
Everyone was tuned in, listening with the future in their eyes, nodding and thinking in karaoke campfire harmony — it’s gonna be a good summer.
Camp Filled Hearts
dancing bones shake chattering teeth
pounding musical ears keeping pace
mountains giving strength to sing out
I can.
Those Summer Nights
Windows down, hand floating through the air
as someone is arguing the merits of beef in the backseat;
music for a sushi restaurant from the Spotify of
our driver who is only in it for the Baja blast
the soundtrack of our drive
to a meal after a long day.
The only 11:49 PM stop in town
the dining room closed
leaving us lounging as comfortably as one can
on the hood of a car
in a Taco Bell parking lot
passing sauce between cars
with a joy only
8 off-duty summer camp counsellors
having their first fast food in 11 days
could have.
Friendship Bracelet
Connection on our arms, absent of presumption or demands, proved stronger than the values
our hypocritical higher ups made for us. Years of texts, calls, and the occasional facetime spun
into embroidery floss plaits we wear on our hearts and weave into our conversations. A soft
place to land and a bubble wrapped man making knots in memories that we’ll reach out to follow
the curve of without unraveling a single fibre.
***
Megan Markham (she/they) is a poet, playwright, and actor living in Orlando, Florida, with their wife, dog, and cats. Making theatre and art with family and friends is what gets them through the days. She has written and performed full-length immersive theatre, short plays, and everything in between. Their work has appeared in Coffee People Magazine, Progenitor, Nifty Lit, Prospectus, and Rainbow Poems.