2 poems by a.j. brown

High Tide

I contorted myself in something lacy, a bow winking at the tip of my ass crack

and you liked it

I am

(most importantly)

fun to fuck

You are blurry across from me and I am “fun” again (it was fun, with a shrug)

My smile-sewn mouth can’t help the animal sound

I am just so good

(You say it like the world is rightside up)

I forget that grief comes in waves

I forget the pull of the current

and once again I make the mistake

of turning my back to the ocean

(The End)

Here is the part that hurts

the winter (the end)

the clinging

of ice to eyelash (you will not beg)

the prayer in the bite

the brief thaw of day,

an approximation of arms

I think only people who love me are the ones who want to hurt me

(when do I stop)

you said that it was fun

I think that love is violence

(when do I stop)

we talk about how cold it is,

even at noon.

Aiden “A.J.” Brown is an LA-based writer and multimedia artist. Originally from Chicago, they received their Master’s degree in the Humanities with a concentration in English Literature at The University of Chicago in 2020. Their Book, The Apple House (Naked Cat Press), is due to be released in October 2023. Read more from Aiden at TheFallofaSparrow.Substack.com and follow them on Instagram at inthefallofasparrow.