Cosmonaut by A.E. De Vaul
The poems in Cosmonaut work together to tell a story. As our poetic narrator embarks on her literal and figurative journey, the cosmonaut and space itself become flexible metaphors, used to explore the narrator’s place in and perceptions of her world. Shielded and distanced from the world by the glass of the cosmonaut’s helmet, the narrator’s journey is ultimately internal, played out against a backdrop of the accidental details of life – from Star Wars bandaids to conversations about trauma theory, from climate change to Scotch whiskies.
Give and Take
My lover told me he
quite likes his wife;
he never said love.
He said he loves me, but
our love is a shadow
splayed across the walls
of Plato’s cave, written
in verse with a shaking hand
on university letterhead
left pinned to my door
with a post-it note smile
as if it were a gift
as if I could return it
for a better fit.
Give and Take
My lover told me he
quite likes his wife;
he never said love.
He said he loves me, but
our love is a shadow
splayed across the walls
of Plato’s cave, written
in verse with a shaking hand
on university letterhead
left pinned to my door
with a post-it note smile
as if it were a gift
as if I could return it
for a better fit.
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