Corey Mesler

Corey Mesler has published in numerous journals and anthologies.  He has published four novels, two books of short stories, several chapbooks and two full-length poetry collections.  He has been nominated for a Pushcart numerous times, and two of his poems have been chosen for Garrison Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac.  He runs a bookstore in Memphis.

Lips

I found a pair of lips
half-buried in the loam
of my garden-space.
I took them inside.
They were so tender,
tiny creature with soft
wings. I made a pleasance
for the lips and placed it
near my bed. The first
night, as soon as the
light was out, they spoke
to me. They said, You
are godlike. I love you
as fiercely as the encircling
room round a forge.
The next day I returned
the lips to the garden
and went for a walk. I
was hoping to run into
Sandra again. I had already
broken her sweet heart once.