Divyasri Krishnan

Making Fun of Leonardo DiCaprio Dating a 19-Year-Old When You Once Spent a Summer in Love with Your 40-Year-Old Coworker

A little wine for your trouble.
In this heat, it is hard remembering
sadness. You are still young,
your friend a little drunk on 495
though she claims to be fine.
Death, then, seems so far off.
Everything sun-on-sea bright,
like when you cracked your head
and all the light in the world entered you.
His eyes, so blue. Above the dark
water, his hand outstretched,
you must imagine the opportunities
he takes to touch you.
Your name on his lips, not intended
for your hearing. Stretching
your nineteen years into the shape
of desire, something intrinsic
or else unconsciously committed
to memory over the years.
Always acting at an age
you never want to reach.
Still needing the oblivion of sweet,
pink lemonade in your Cabernet,
strawberry ice with your tequila.
If he wanted you, it would ruin
everything. The knowledge
of his goodness is what keeps you
whole. In dreams you love him
only through a window, crossing
your arms just under
your chest and his eyes
tilted up, receiving sky.
Everything blurred with desire.
O, what horror would it be
to see it bleed
into his brilliance. What shame
to have wandered dressed in white
to where lust blunts all things good
and bright.

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Divyasri Krishnan is the author of Primordial Knowledge (Bottlecap Press). Her work is published in DIAGRAM, Muzzle Magazine and elsewhere. Her work has further been recognized by the Best of the Net, Kenyon Review Writers Workshops, Periplus Collective and Palette Poetry. She studies at Carnegie Mellon University.