Sunday, October 13, 2024

SETH HAGEN—"ONE OF US" (Issue 28)

ONE OF US

One of us is drunk, and one of us is lying–
if love is a temple, it’s got spiders and a curse. 
Maybe we won’t work it out, but we’re trying. 

Us still swims luminous in my mind, 
an embryo in its egg, candled and obscure— 
O.K., one of us is drunk, and one of us is lying. 

You said, “Hold that thought. I’m buying,” 
pleated a twenty you plucked from your purse. 
Were we working it out? Were we even trying? 

You swung on the surface in the glass of wine. 
“I remember our first bed. Now there are no more firsts.” 
Someone must be drunk. Someone must be lying. 

You asked me if love was just crust, salt rime 
on rock when the lies burned off from lust– 
so maybe we won’t work it out, but I’m trying. 

Let us kneel to its Form in faith or in science: the
voice of a virgin, black holes, a fifth force 
What if one of us is drunk and one of us lying? 
Maybe we won’t work it out, but love is trying.



ABOUT THE POET 

Seth Hagen has works forthcoming in DIAGRAM. He has published in the fields 
of literary study and tax law. He lives in Atlanta, GA, where he teaches English.



ABOUT SUGAR HOUSE REVIEW 


We loved reading the work that we’ve published (clearly), and we want an 
opportunity to better hear our contributors. We're featuring audio recordings of 
poems from our pages, read by the poet. This an open invitation to all contributors 
from any of our issues, we were delighted to print your work, now we’re eager to 
hear it.

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