the musical of the bell jar
she plays with the sound
in her mouth
tongues the note around
like a two-ton stone
trying to dislodge
the music
from her throat.
a cricket hid
its song
under a trapdoor
where a turret spider
guards it
About the Author: john compton (b. 1987), author of 17 books/chapbooks, is a gay poet/writer who lives in kentucky with his husband josh and their dogs and cats, and mice. his latest full length book is “my husband holds my hand because i may drift away & be lost forever in the vortex of a crowded store” published with Flowersong Press (dec 2024); his latest chapbook is “melancholy arcadia” published with Harbor Editions (april 2024). he has been published in ONE ART more times then he has fingers on one hand. you can find his books, some poems and other things here: https://linktr.ee/poetjohncompton
Image Credit: Isaac Wilhelm Tegner: Water spider (1885) Public domain image courtesy of Artvee
As It Ought To Be 