Lies Lovers Tell
On the pillow, a trace of perfume.
On the sheet, a pool of desire.
On their cloud, theirs alone,
no getting up, no going home.
They tell each other a few lies,
& like all lovers, believe them.
They want dreams’ hope to
hold back swift-running rivers.
Morning dreams visit, wake them
with discomfort, hold more lies,
again believed, & they feel cold
water rush through their hands.
Eugene Stevenson, son of immigrants, father of expatriates, is author of Heart’s Code (Kelsay Books, 2024), & The Population of Dreams (Finishing Line Press, 2022). His poems have appeared in Atlanta Review, Door=Jar Literary Magazine, Hudson Review, Ink Sweat & Tears, San Antonio Review, Washington Square Review, among others. He lives in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. More at eugenestevenson.com
