(!)

can a tulip bloom in the darkness of shame,
sour like a lemon drop, suckling at a candy teat?
soft, sweet, plump, pliable pink

—pennies, pennies, pennies.
copper pennies. taste the copper and
lemon drops. a heart that spills out

spills out the trundle bed, our eyes heavy,
shared jammies, secrets whispered low,
awake for the pillow’s cool side

we flip to savor in the chilled night.