I was going to just drop this link and run, but I can’t abandon a poem like that.

Remember I mentioned Reading Crush a while back? My thanks to Cathexis Northwest Press for publishing it. I’m honored and a little terrified to have this one out in the world, if I’m being honest.

I’m so honored to be among such good company. Please read all of the fantastic poems in the issue!

This poem was sparked by my memory of reading Richard Siken’s Crush in my late 30s. It hit me like a fever dream I didn’t know I’d been postponing. The poem that emerged years later isn’t just about that book, it’s about the life I was living when it found me. (IYKYK.)

Word Raccoon isn’t thrilled about this, but I do feel a content note is warranted. This one’s spicy but not gratuitous, not for shock, but it does deal frankly with themes of longing, constraint, and bodily hunger stirred by art.

Content Note: This poem contains themes of desire, constraint, and embodied response to literature. It includes sexual imagery, strong language, and reflections on motherhood and identity.
Proceed if you’re okay with vulnerability, heat, and a few lines that burn on contact.

Oh, and always: please don’t entirely conflate me with my writing persona. That would be a mistake. Word Raccoon is hissing at the mere idea.

Although, of course there’s a seed of truth. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a poem. Just don’t get too literal, okay, loves? 😀

Here it is, with the UPDATED link, lol: https://www.cathexisnorthwestpress.com/sep-oct-2025

(page 19, September 2025 issue)