Chen Chen

recipe found in a winter boot

hurtle the cake.
              hurdle the grave.
tell the smallest dog
              your smelliest you.
erase the hand erasing
              the mouth. move to a distant
memory with your worst
              marginalia. or favorite
cousin. journal about it.
              type up
your review of the year’s
              first snow: a predictably
thrilling sequel
              to what the leaves,
not too long ago, said.

then, kiss the snow.

pick up a heaping
              handful & smooch it.
feel the snow
              give you smoochies back.
listen to it. listen
              close. the snow.
each fluttering little note of it
              saying, kiss me
& kiss me
              here & here.

Write with us. Learn with us. Publish with us.
Join a growing community of poets & readers.
Early access to calls, workshops, and updates.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
No spam. No ads. No data-selling. Unsubscribe anytime.
MEMBERSHIP PORTAL    |    FAQ   |    SUBMIT
2025 ONLY INK, Inc. All rights reserved.
ONLY POEMS®️ and associated marks are trademarks of ONLY INK, Inc. All individual works are copyrighted by their respective authors. All poems, essays, and artworks published on this site remain the intellectual property of their creators and may not be reproduced without explicit permission. The views expressed in published works are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ONLY INK, Inc., its editors, or affiliated entities. While many works draw on lived experience, they may contain fictionalized elements; no reference to any real person is intended or should be inferred. ONLY POEMS is an ad-free, independent, reader-supported publication.