Poetry at Sangam

SangamHouse

 










The Worst Joy by Stephen Sturgeon

halved mouth dark velour floral unguent
skin petal rim doused cedar ambergris
slick cotton body linen creases skim
off a hip’s salt cream and cleanest perspirant

Naïve oceans of anesthesia,
reveling of a sleepy weakness. Joints:
the sacred and the dull. A felt idea,
faculties of motion, of dimmest mounts:

persevere threading courtesies. Be well
away when I don’t know what I’m doing.
Felicity is a scavenged shell
pretty hearts go dark pursuing.