2 Samuel by Sally Van Doren

2 Samuel

hush · issue 7

The insentient drop of water quenched my thirst.

The insentient gush of oil fed my nation.

The sentient wound bled.

The sentient dressing hydrated the scar.

The insentient je ne sais quoi identified itself as a teacher.

The insentient parachute failed to open.

The sentient avocado nourished the tortilla chip.

The sentient full moon ate up the sky.

The last time I felt you, you gave me everything.

The last time you felt me, I did not give enough.

The first time I noticed you were unfeeling, I turned away from you.

The first time I saw that you felt more than everyone else, I hid in fear.

There was a piece of anaphora that wedged itself between us.

When we removed it, I started to flow and you lapped it up.

Sally Van Doren

A poet and artist, Sally Van Doren has published four poetry collections with LSU Press, most recently, Sibilance, in 2023, which features one of her asemic drawings on the cover. Her first book Sex at Noon Taxes received the Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets. She leads poetry workshops at public libraries in Connecticut.