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Terra Rima (After Jack Collom)

by Brendan Allen

love is born of thing-ness &
         I choose to love the bedded dirt,

the edible earth beneath the stove-
         range. I love the sprouted-new tufts

of mold as they muddy the grout. I love
         the ant-ball’s tributaries, flirting

the lost taffy. the more I choose more love,
         the more things sing their thing-ing song.

here, listen: each damp ring on the tabletop
         begs you to join me, to raise your feet & assert

this place I’ve saved for you.
         on the couch, run your fingers along

our blanket’s underbelly & brush me. now, let’s
         call up some friends. it’s a sectional, after all

it’s tectonic. but it’s also just cushion. all these borders:
         just cushion. it’s our house & the throngs

at the door don’t have to listen to us if they
         want a piece of it. I choose to love these walls

because I’ve saved this space for you. now you
can stretch out on the carpet, count our love, sing something new.


Brendan Allen lives in Philadelphia, where he pursues a poetry MFA and teaches undergraduate writing at Temple University. He’s currently working on a text-based, choose-your-own-adventure, poem-generating video game. You can play a demo at https://bibliomancer.itch.io/centoquest.

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