A new poem from the current New Zealand Poetry Slam champion Dan Goodwin.

Amen

The word Love is our greatest invention.
I have never known a better suitcase
for a species so bad at packing.

I love you is the triple pirouette of the word.

Love is the jump,

you are the landing – and the magic

is how we twirl

One night
while writing their wedding vows
my friends Joanne
and Jessica argue
over who said I love you first.

For a wedding present, I joke
Would you like a blender?
Or should I hand you its receipt?

Jess stares

Fuck off. We’re lesbians.

We don’t blend things. We crush them.

I don’t know what she meant by that, but trust me – I felt it.
Just like my shoulder didn’t see her right hook coming, but trust me – I felt it.

My friend Jessica has a remarkable sense of immediacy about her.
So when Joanne recommends postponing the wedding
she pleads do I not make you happy?

Happy

Joanne tells her,

My darling, we do not have to prove anything.

Happy

when Jessica threw the bouquet

like a javelin towards her sister

Catch it bitch!

Happy

The idea that if life has a finish line you should run towards it
fast as you can

When Joanne passed away       at 28
we filed into the church silently
praying we could go backwards.

When someone dies           their soul escapes words          becomes solar system.
Memories floating around and inside those still left alive,
there is no one word to encapsulate that,

Why do these people keep saying Amen?

Jessica asks me at the back of the church

As if it means anything.

I tell her Amen is a lot like I love you but too much like Happy.

At the same time

they’re trying.

Amen because I wish you were here.
Amen because I blame you and feel so guilty.
Amen because what else is there?
Amen because RuPaul.
Amen because why not?
Amen because thank you for everything.

When Joanne’s Mother sees us
she says God Bless to Jessica
like Please don’t touch me.

When she sees Jessica, her daughter-in-law
leave,
she says Amen
as in Thank God that’s over.

Confronting the Pastor about it after
he says it can be hard sometimes
to receive the word of God
when we need it the most.

I tell him that’s true. I’ll go now.
Need to work on my right hook.

Outside,
Jessica sitting on the steps of the church
I realise all the words I have
are entirely inadequate.

I sit beside her.

We watch the 4pm sunset go down.

I offer I love you

she nods

places it to the side for later.

We sit.

Lean in to each other.

Say nothing

 

Video filmed by Harriett Maire.

The Friday Poem is edited by Chris Tse. Submissions are currently closed.