Doll by Beth Mercurio

Elizabeth Mercurio

ELIZABETH MERCURIO is a poet living in Tampa, Florida. She earned an MFA in poetry from The Solstice Low-Residency Program of Pine Manor College. Her work has appeared in, Third Point Press, Philadelphia Stories, The Skinny Poetry Journal, The Literary Nest, and Fledgling Rag. She was nominated for a Best of the Net award and was the 2016 recipient of The Sharon Olds Fellowship for Poetry.

From Doll:

STAY 

The lilies in the greenhouse ― shiver,

                                    wither in dim light.

It is raining.

            You drink your root beer,

            hope to keep it down.

            Put the guitar away.

            You’re done with it.

            It’s too late

            for a love letter,

            but you write one anyway.

            You load the shotgun,

            prepare the heroin one last time.

            Lay your wallet

            on the floor.

            Stab a pen through the note

            into a pot of soil.

In the morning fresh lilies will arrive ―

                                                in the breath of first light.