A Poetic Response to My Friend’s Deconversion from Christianity or “Dear Phoenix Queen”
“Dear Phoenix Queen,” a poem written by Dylan Whittler. Copyright 2020.
In the Quiet Moments
Felt poetic after church and wanted to write a bit.
Hindsight is a Broken Mirror
Hindsight is a broken mirror which is to say, nothing pretty is ever seen in its gleam and I can't help but wonder if you'll regret me too one day because, trust me, darling, I have lived better without you.
For Taylor
None of us clapped after he read AN ENTIRE ACT OF SORROW and I wonder if Rebecca is the bridge he still can’t burn which is to say, if he was there, could he, would she have allowed him to, be her knight in shattered armor? He offered no thanks after finishing, like lost gratitude … Continue reading For Taylor
Loving a Suicidal Writer
*I wrote this poem after reading an article about James Baldwin and his struggle with suicidal ideation* If I ask you to martyr me within your pages, blank and crisp, like unvarnished potential, don’t let your memory of me fade away like forgotten, abandoned childhood dreams. Don’t listen to my mournful woes. Write me beautiful … Continue reading Loving a Suicidal Writer
The Art of Sexual Grooming
Step 1: Befriend someone and study her like scientists examine microscopic organisms beneath the ocean's surface. Learn her likes, dislikes, if she hates her parents and why. Step 2: After learning that she's a loner looking for simple companionship, start eroding her carefully constructed walls, break down bricks with warm hugs, a soft hand on … Continue reading The Art of Sexual Grooming
Throwback to That One Time my Therapist Made Me Grieve My Almost-Fiancé
"I proposed to him." That feels weird to say, especially out loud, when he, my former, is light years away from me. Well, more like 160 miles, but semantics, right? I told J. that we had been inseparable, except for distance, for almost 5 years, best friends and all until life hit. He had gotten … Continue reading Throwback to That One Time my Therapist Made Me Grieve My Almost-Fiancé
