Search
The Missouri Review

Poem of the Week | February 18, 2012

Melissa Broder: "Mercy"

This week we’re serving up a new poem by Melissa Broder. Broder is the author of two collections of poems, most recently Meat Heart. Poems appear or are forthcoming in Guernica, Redivider, Court Green, Drunken Boat, Barrelhouse, The Awl, et al. She edits La Petite Zine.

Author’s Note:

One night, god and I had a really good time together. The next day I felt like god was just gone. It seemed cruel that god would abscond after our magic night together. So I wrote this poem. Of course, god hadn’t gone anywhere. Where can god go? It was probably me who left.

Mercy

 

Yesterday the worship rattled like an engine
I said Let this voltage last forever
But today is full of soup odor
The pillow drone is loud today

 

You give me back my light legs
Let us play galaxy spy
Today is such a nothing nothing
Such a supper of prosthetics

 

I want to buzz all night
I want the full orbit workup
Your power is none of my business
Maybe your hum could just fall from my lips

 

SEE THE ISSUE

SUGGESTED CONTENT