I Remember

I remember through remains

of my lip hanging cigarette

three days before your ass was dog-tagged

and corsage of my acrylic tears

said to my good-looking flesh of green tattoos

throw back your coat

and your face got hard as rock candy

and tight like alum pussy

as my pointed toe pointed heel high top silvers

pushed back their buckles

and my champale and bubblegum sweat flew

to the surface of my rhinestone crabs

and my belly cincher bra pincher

popped up their dukes

and my voice more precise than the wind said

come on motha fucka

kiss me

Notes:

This essay is part of the portfolio “Jayne Cortez: I Imitate No One.” You can read the rest of the portfolio in the November 2024 issue.

“I Remember” is from Firespitter: The Collected Poems of Jayne Cortez (Nightboat Books, 2025) and was originally published in Scarifications (1973). We are grateful to Nightboat Books for their assistance in compiling this folio, and to the estate of Jayne Cortez for their permission in reprinting this poems.

Source: Poetry (November 2024)