butcher
butcher
by scott carroll
sitting up at 3 in the morning
reading her favorite writer’s poetry
he’s not rich
or famous
she helps him out
she does promotion work
they talk
she calls it her ‘work’
she works a lot
and I’m fucking her
but
I’m bathing in his blood
as I write this
with all three of his books on my shelf
staring at me—
presents from her
Is the poet the ‘butcher’ for being the girlfriend’s idol of adoration messing with the relationship? Or is it the author (boyfriend) whose apparent jealousy has turned him spiteful and pessimistic. I’d go with the latter, though if you were to ask the author/boyfriend, i’m sure he would say it’s the poet. Varying perspectives…interesting. I wonder what kind of poem the poet would write about his ‘work helper’? hmm.
Emotional and 100% autobiographical i bet… thx.
The poet who is the subject of this poem was named Raegan Butcher. The irony in the visual of “bathing in his blood” wasn’t realized or intended until I titled the poem after the fact.