Sheri L. Wright

Drowned

How did he come to this
so young and pretty,
sporting the flash of fame
so that everyone could see.

It wasn’t the words he flung like a switchblade,
then field-dressed the wounds with valium,
hash or brandy, take your pick.

It wasn’t his genius
bending and straining obscure notes
into rhythms made irresistible,
weavings he painted black
so that nobody could see
how smartly he slapped his lovers.

It wasn’t the way he ground out civility
like a cigarette with the heel of his boot
and it most definitely was not the hands
that held him under the water
that killed him.

His girlfriend tells us
in her new book
that it was his addiction to sadness,
self-love unrequited,
his death grip that squeezed
the air from a kiss
until it sank to the bottom.

— Sheri L. Wright

Sheri Wright’s latest chapbook, The Courtship of Reason, is an April release from Finishing Line press. She has three previous books: Nuns Shooting Guns, Sharks Never Sleep, and Contains Scenes of Indigenous Nudity.

I first met Sheri through the Green River Writers. GRW has as its motto, “Writers helping writers,” and to my mind Sheri represents the best of what GRW does in nurturing grassroots voices. Her voice is refreshingly honest, bold, and straightforward. And she reads beautifully. Naturally GRW can’t take credit for Sheri’s inborn talent. What they do offer is a place where grassroots writers can be safe and can learn craft.

Sheri blogs at Scribblings and Such. You can read an interview with Sheri at Public Republic or listen to a podcast of her appearance on Accents. Copies of Sheri’s books are available through her Facebook fan page Scribblings and Such.