what’s connection?

Jun 17, 2021 | 2020 Summer - Connections, Poetry

By Laura-Marie River Victor Peace

love for the other ecstatic dancers. women love, radical mental health love, comrade love. love for the people I’m serving food to. “is that good? you’re welcome.”

community love. bus driver love. riding a certain route, getting to like certain bus drivers, loving bus drivers who never knew I loved them. pen pal love long term and short term, therapist love, love for strangers.

love for the people driving by who read my Peace is Possible sign. love for someone I met once in a zoom room and never saw again. love for myself. twelve-year journey together love. love for the ex as my memories fade.

detached love, involved love, love suffused with lust, buddy love. body love. bad idea love. pragmatic love.

love for someone who died. love for my mom on the other side. love for my sweet swami and ishta deva. love for the ex I tried so hard with and can’t talk to anymore.

love for a friend. love for a friend’s baby who smiles at me. love for a friend’s grandchildren I never met but know all the names of and see pictures of. love for someone who helped me.

love for a facebook friend I met on myspace. love for people in my previous town. love for people who left the community I live in, but the love feels the same.

love for an imagined pet lizard I feed the courtyard cheeseweed leaves—I named her Spike. love for a houseguest as she sings.

love for Ming as he does the dishes. love for an enemy I went through a lot with. love for the family I have today, the people I check in with every day, lately.

Laura-Marie is a queer trike-riding zinester who lives in the desert, enjoying life and doing radical mental health.

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