I’m Here, I’m Here, I’m Here
by Lauren Yarnall

​Everyone has a version of without. Here
is mine—where someone has carved joan of arc

is a lesbian into drywall like the subject  
of an online forum. Everywhere 

is the back of a school bus. Now 
is only getting to theater-kiss

the thought of her. How do you know you like 
it if you haven’t tried? This here is a silk 

gag. A fuzzy pair of cuffs. I want 
to load my plate with caviar as though

​I eat it every day. I delete everything 
gay from my search history. French 

braid desire, tie it off with blue 
ribbon. Everywhere, cupping 
​
our faces like unblessed water. 
​

​Lauren Yarnall is a third year Master of Fine Arts candidate in Poetry at the University of Idaho, where she is the incoming co-Editor-in-Chief of Fugue. She is from Ellicott City, Maryland and received her bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from Salisbury University. Lauren was the sole finalist of Yemassee’s 2018 Poetry Contest. Her work has previously appeared in Harpur Palate, Thrush Poetry Journal, Puerto del Sol, Sugar House Review, and elsewhere.

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June 2018

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