a poem by ryan collins

Words I Say


I say come over you say I can’t I’m busy maybe another time 
I say how ‘bout tomorrow you say how about it 

I say quinoa you say mirepoix no soup for you
I say someone’s in the kitchen you say fix me a sandwich 

I say salt you say no thanks I’m watching my cholesterol 
I say are you feeling okay you say yes when I’m asleep 

I say happy birthday you say yeah right leaving the room
I say please you say you say thank you too much please stop  






Ryan Collins is the author of a chapbook, Complicated Weather (Rock Town Press) & an e-chapbook, Handshake Trouble (Gold Wake Press). Some of his recent work has appeared in Leveler, H_NGM_N, Jellyfish, LOCUSPOINT, Handsome, The Hover Project & the Hell Yes Press cassette anthology 21 Love Poems. He lives in the Illinois Quad Cities & teaches in the Iowa Quad Cities.