Dotty has published 4 chapbooks and has appeared in many journals and anthologies. She lives in Northern California. "Six Feet" was originally published in "Headline Poetry and Press" in 2020. It is now a part of Short Édition's series, The Current.

Originally published in Headline Poetry and Presse, 2020
The length of my dog's leash. Meeting another,
twelve feet between wary humans,
dogs sniff nose to nose.
Longing.

How tall my father was, or so he said, but
you couldn't always trust
everything he said.
Ask Mom.

The width of a cell in San Quentin Prison,
not counting men stacked in bunks,
stale air, no phone call.
No defense.

The distance between two not-yet-lovers, masked
strangers, no touch but eyes,
no hands, no mouths.
Alone together.

The depth of the average grave, except in genocides,
war, and pandemics like this one
when you have to share.
Don't die.

The width of my queen size mattress, enough
for two, most nights. Sometimes
I want it all for myself.
Tonight you stay.

© Short Édition - All Rights Reserved

3

A few words for the author?

Take a look at our advice on commenting here

To post comments, please

You might also like…

Poetry

Christmas Every Day

Virginie Ronteix

In the Langelot family, devotion to happiness is deep-seated. Right when Rose and Henry met, they were amazed by the range of possibilities that were offered to them, the chance to light up with ... [+]

Poetry
Poetry