The panic of wanting you

comes unexpectedly, distant need
close now, roaring in my ears,
how quickly it becomes irrational.

Where are you? Where have you been?
Where are you going? How did you
survive before the day we met?

Waiting for your call, the throb
of it in my hand, signal always on,
always transmitting.

How suddenly I am in the wrong house,
my rationale pounding on the door,
picking locks, testing windows

for any entry, because even as I
temporarily lose control, both of us –
my two halves – know it's nothing more

than misplaced desire.
This is New Orleans after all,
it comes in the rain.

– Collin Kelley

Comments

Maggie May said…
this is so perfectly calibrated, so satisfying, evocative
Collin Kelley said…
Aw, thanks Miss Maggie. Hope you're well. :)
always a pleasure to read a great ck poem.
Anonymous said…
what a firecracker this one is, collin. i love the ending especially. not sure if this poem is inspiring me to go and write something or go out and find someone to get foolish over for a while...
Collin Kelley said…
Jaxx, I would write. ;-)
this is excellent, it moves along at just the right pace and the ending is perfect
christine said…
I miss that feeling of being in love, but this poem also brings out the dual nature of that state–the fear of never fulfilling the desire. Very dream-like at the end. This would be a great poem to include in the CV collection.
January said…
"How suddenly I am in the wrong house..."

Love that line. Very nice.

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