EMILY AS KNOXVILLE

All hunger

& still

dripping,

my Emily,

 

animated

& wearing

mismatched

undergarments

 

dances

as the world’s

Emily

& as her

 

body stretched

to become

the horizon

of Tennessee,

 

I was instant

& reminded

that this dream

I’ve had now

 

for seven years.

When we left,

after my reading,

I heard applause

 

& a deep sigh

that I was

taking Emily

away.


Darren C. Demaree is the author of "As We Refer to Our Bodies" (8th House, 2013), "Temporary Champions" (Main Street Rag, 2014), and "Not For Art Nor Prayer" (8th House, 2015).  He is the Managing Editor of the Best of the Net Anthology.  He is currently living in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and children.