Mother I’m braided out, faded out From your emotional distention I turn to my empty corner, it’s just me And my former skeleton, the ash Tired of clawing for your attention Meanwhile you parade so proudly your Perfect Person sash And indeed I acknowledge my imperfections But having come straight from your body, I expected more than this half assed connection Truthfully I’ve already lit the match, so We are complete And I have locked the fucking latch Copyright ©️ Kimberly Virga 2026

This is my two year old Frenchie, Archibald Roderick, named after Roderick in Edgar Allan Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher Just to make you smile 😃

I remember Florida— Heat sizzling, sizing me up, its saccharine sidewalks, the sonnets from our hotel room bending the bed frame. You echoed my name like scripture, like solace in its soliloquy, and the way you burned on your knees for me Copyright ©️ Kimberly Virga 2026

“I don’t want to talk about this” Then write about it How else will we understand The brambles and backstarts Of your boarded up heart How else will we understand The humming and hell fire Of each unsorted part I’m in gross excess, recalibrating my roaring veins In the cordoned off party of your celebrated name VIP, I’m not invited Yet the incel of my soul has taken fault The purpose of my love, so divided But where now to wander, since I’ve had Your salt Copyright ©️ Kimberly Virga 2026

A huge congratulations to @Timothy Lenhart Lenhart for being selected as this week's Poem of the Week with his heartfelt piece, "To Be Loved." Timothy's poem is a powerful reflection on vulnerability, hope, and the universal longing to be accepted for who we truly are. It reminds us that some of the strongest poetry comes from the quiet places we don't always share. Please join me in celebrating Timothy's incredible work! Leave him a comment, let him know what lines resonated with you, and show him some well-deserved love. 👏❤️ Congratulations again, Timothy! Your words touched our community this week, and we can't wait to see what you write next. Keep writing. Keep growing. Keep sharing your voice.