Lyndsie Conklin
IN THEIR HOLD
Fingers wrap sound fingers,
thumbs move in soothing patterns.
But in this simple moment
the repetition doesn’t lull
but nervously entices
pulling us into kisses.
Their hands graze my back
with a resistant softness
I must stiffen my spine
to fully enjoy the touch.
When need for consent
requires a wide-eyed look,
we do not abandon our tangle.
Yet when softness overwhelms
the enticing spark,
I settle my head on their chest
just to listen to their love.
Their arms squeeze me once
while their lips peck at my head.
Gentle kisses and hugs
settle into contentment
and I accept my position
stuck in their hold.
A BEAUTIFUL INVITATION
Bathed in an artificial blue
the curves of her looked rather inviting
yet I couldn’t disrupt the picture.
With her hand, she delicately
lined her hips before her gaze
pulled up to me. She smiled.
I broke the colorful hue
stepping into her blue world,
ready to guide my red hand
down her hips, taking hold
of her beautiful invitation.
TANGLED
Blur the tasty, tender bits
we all hide in stark daylight
with foreign calloused hands
and wanting, bodily drool.
Blend together harlequin skin
slipping under painted fingers
and stained with strangers’ lips.
Anatomical reactions combine
into a uniform, restless enigma,
breathing within the entanglement,
giving to the depraved pieces.
Limbs are artificial arteries
bleeding sweet onto tongues
eager for all the new tastes.
Rhapsody bouncing heavy
in the density of humidity,
all created by proximity.
Render the collective still,
by returning pieces to daylight,
seal our sins into memory.
Lyndsie Conklin (she/her) is a Montanan transplanted to Colorado, living with her husband and cat, Beans. She enjoys getting outside, being a cat mom, breakfast foods, Diet Coke, and (of course) writing poetry and erotic fiction. Lyndsie attempts to find romance, beauty, and darkness hidden within the little things while highlighting these little, gross beauties within complex, current topics, such as mental health and LGBTQ+ and women’s issues. Lyndsie holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Western Colorado University and a Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration from Post University. Some of her work has been featured in Soupcan Magazine, The Sleeve Magazine, and Dreamer by Night Magazine.