Category: Lucia LoTempio

“He says my love grows…”

Vandal Poem of the Day: December 12, 2022

Geneseo, NY
He says my love grows from a big space to an even bigger
one.

This is what happens when you’re sure: it’s fear full of loss.
I’m standing at the ledge & he is a balloon I’m afraid to
drop—totally ignorant that he would just float, a perfect
pressure—just in front of my face—so close I could smell
the latex.

One day you’ll see that these letters are full of love for you
too & there will be so much you’ll want to suck out of them,
like pomegranate, juice & seeds six in your palm.

Soon,

from Hot with the Bad ThingsFind more by Lucia LoTempio at the library

“And I went up the hill to class…”

Vandal Poem of the Day: November 16, 2022

 by Lucia LoTempio

And I went up the hill to class    And I had a body
And I had my body    And I had a whole
hike    And I was out of breath    And I panted
as if a man touched me    And I was on my knees
going up the stairs    And white bunnies
of dust stuck to me    And what stuck to me
was the smell of another hole    And I took
an apple    And I rested it in me    And I rested
And it was a round red in the light    And bright
And from underneath the man I loved
held me down    And pulled himself a slice
And the swift glare and ping of a pocketknife

from Hot with the Bad ThingsFind more by Lucia LoTempio at the library
Copyright © 2020 Lucia LoTempio

Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Alice James Books.

“When a girl is killed…”

Vandal Poem of the Day: September 9, 2022

 by Lucia LoTempio

When a girl is killed     When we say
her murderer as if it’s a sweet
slow burn of possession     When the girl
was killed in Geneseo     When her ex
killed her     When the man killed her
When he stabbed her     When he killed
her lover     When he killed a man     When he
killed himself     When
at the memorial     When they don’t
mention her     When iced
with blame     When a girl learns     When to keep
herself safe     When it’s a matter of yelling Fire
not Help me     not Rape     not Run
from Hot with the Bad ThingsFind more by Lucia LoTempio at the library
Copyright © 2020 Lucia LoTempio

Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Alice James Books.

“So I listened to a lot of the Mountain Goats”

Vandal Poem of the Day: August 26, 2022

 by Lucia LoTempio

So I listened to a lot of the Mountain Goats, so I still listen to “Rhapsody
in Blue,” so I had a poster of John Lennon. So I moved dorms because my
roommate loved to masturbate, so I loved to masturbate. So I didn’t recognize
it when he raped me. So I was raped. So I had a rape done to me. So I wrote
about blood and onion hearts and beautiful bruises. So he dumped me on
Skype.

Once I tweeted ways a woman is a slut, once I listed how a woman did things
to herself. When I say once, I mean many times. I was a bad student and artless
with irony.

After ● but before now. What happens in a beginning. I was there but I don’t
remember. I was there but that’s not the woman I want. I’m a bad student. I
can’t show my work. I was there. I was there. I know her.

I stayed in Geneseo for another year. I moved away. I talked about ●. I talked
about him a lot.

Once I thought if I were to drown I would pull him down with me, but the only
hand in mine is mine.

from Hot with the Bad ThingsFind more by Lucia LoTempio at the library
Copyright © 2020 Lucia LoTempio

Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Alice James Books.

“In the bad dream I’m in the room”

Vandal Poem of the Day: April 12, 2022

 by Lucia LoTempio

In the bad dream I’m in the room.

In the bad dream the knife is infinite and repeating.

In the bad dream the knife is an instance of his body, another thing to go in
and out.

In the bad dream I’m not her but I am watching.

In the bad dream why am I watching

from Hot with the Bad ThingsFind more by Lucia LoTempio at the library
Copyright © 2020 Lucia LoTempio

Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Alice James Books.