come to me by john compton

come to me

there are certain things
that remind you—
their face cloned in every face.

the curvature of light glistens.
sensing the ripple: a wave
crashes into the eyelash.

your emotions begin to unravel;
there is a nakedness underneath
i cannot hide.

i try to scratch his name off stone.
why is he there?
why is he there?

he left as quickly as a dream—
a bombing, all at once:
i cannot comprehend a half empty bed.

*

john compton (b. 1987) is a gay poet. he lives in a nonexisting town in kentucky which still holds its name, with his husband josh, and their dogs, cats, & mice. his latest books are: 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); & house as a cemetery published with Rebel Satori Press (march 2026).