23 Comments
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Annie Lure's avatar

Oh! 'Skid-Row low-light strawberry hair'! So lurid. Reminds me of someone who once wrote 'Beatnik black'.

'Tightened tightrope around her trope'!!! - tautological as befits a literal & metaphorical double bind.

I once knew a British mobster-cum-poet who'd consort with contortionists but victimize them in his poems. He'd aver that the trapezoid artist secretly craved willows weeping onto manicured lawns but was just meat spiraling out for the punters. Somehow I wasn't OK with that. I'm well acquainted with body artists of all stripes, and I see them (us) as agentive. Sexually and otherwise. Body as instrument.

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Edward Swafford's avatar

Body as instrument is instrumental, Annie 🥹🖤

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Elena's avatar

I am utterly impressed/ drawn in by the opening lines! Way to fucking go. Overall, two brilliant poems. Sex work is a hard topic to tackle!

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Edward Swafford's avatar

It’s “the oldest profession”, shouldn’t ppl be over the stigma by now?! 🖤❤️

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Marcia Abboud's avatar

Lost for words... Just brilliant!

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Edward Swafford's avatar

Whore is a beautiful word!

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Marcia Abboud's avatar

🤣

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tita bunny's avatar

Fuck, these are both amazing !!!!!! Terrifically talented, you are. I feel inspired. I'm very excited to read more. Thank you so much for sharing 💞

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Nancy Santos's avatar

“She swallows it to drown out yesterday

so she can stomach earning her worth tonight.” 🖤

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Just Kayla's avatar

Thanks Nancy!!

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Nancy Santos's avatar

“Streaks of Skid Row low-light strawberry hair

She's speakeasy and smooth”

Love those opening lines

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Edward Swafford's avatar

She’s a street smart lass, dear Nancy 💔💋

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Ann Marie Steele's avatar

Both of these pieces are amazing!

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Edward Swafford's avatar

You are such a doll, Ann Marie 🥹🥹🤯🖤

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Ann Marie Steele's avatar

Too sweet!!

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E.R. Davis's avatar

Two phenomenal pieces. Both coming from different angles yet both capturing an unvarnished truth.

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Edward Swafford's avatar

Preach! This was our aim 🎯

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Debdutta Pal's avatar

Raw power in the shape of showstopping poetry. Beautiful, both of them.

And the readings!! Unbelievable.

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Edward Swafford's avatar

There’s a Southern hick in my voice box, so I’m putting him to use 🌪🌪🥹🥹.

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H. R. Sinclair's avatar

Grit and grime. Your two different, distinct styles gel so well.

Bravo, queens! 👸 🫅

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Just Kayla's avatar

Eeks! Ya'll, not gonna lie it was so fun to do something out of my comfort zone, and with Edward at that!

It was a blast to work with such an edgy topic.

But Edward- he is just a jedi master. I have no words. So here are his:

"Stop. Talking. Spread. Those. Legs. Wider."

OMG Dead. I am Dead.

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Black Coffee Poetry's avatar

We spoke truth and that's why we're writers.

We don't fuck around with semantics, it's straight to the point.

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Just Kayla's avatar

#truth

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