side effects on insomnia
my dying
is a house
being unbuilt
—the frames are removed
before the roof.
the structure
collapses
under the weight
—i lie in bed
& watch the clock:
how many hours
to deconstruct
a body
*
side effects to eating
—i float
through the sky
until every pore
releases lightening
prayers
were never processed
no one set up
the answering machine
i won’t figure out
how to process the death
i requested
please sign this nda
—do not attach a poem
*
john compton (b. 1987) is a gay poet who lives in kentucky with his husband josh and their dogs, cats and mice. his latest full length book is “my husband holds my hand because i may drift away & be lost forever in the vortex of a crowded store” published with Flowersong Press (dec 2024); his latest chapbook is “melancholy arcadia” published with Harbor Editions (april 2024). you can find his books, some poems and other things here: https://linktr.ee/poetjohncompton
