MICHELE AMAS

 

Flinch

 
Trust is a vicious dog 
tethered to an umbilical leash, 
I made you flinch 
      in an angry room 
air full of alphabet, thunder clap sense 
my sudden turn, something sharp 
in my eye and you sweetest of cells 
thought I would hit you. 
 
Unguarded you stood as painful as hope. 
 
What was that ghost fear I saw in the split second 
of your face, that had no echo but I hear it over 
left no mark but a litter of glass between the reach for you: 
find a formula, invent a formula, your flinch lives under my skin 
furious memory in tissue, I am an editor splicing frames 
backwards forwards, I am a scientist distilling vapour 
lost in condensation. 
 
Unguarded I stand as painful as hope. 
 
Let me sew name tags on your clothes. 
Let me give you back to you. 
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

‘I wrench the clock that was my heart out of my breast…’ H. Muller. Michele Amas says writing this poem felt like that.