[Didn’t the light and gloss go with our egos?]

By Natalie Solmer

Didn’t the light & gloss go with our egos? 

Or are we just fooling ourselves with Retinol cream

& Botox? We’ve watched our Gods tightened & sucked

of fat, parading on our plastic pedestals, transported

& dancing brightly at the foot of our beds

while our children grew from infants to men. Why

would we ever think the Gods are tired

of fucking people over, that they could change

with us? Yet even with a God’s abs, their cold plunged

skin begins to pucker in HD, and like that Imagiste,

we notice the line & lumpy filled lip

so numb to the kiss in Valley backyards

the aged get their mojo back in lonely hot tubs

under the stars with Bambi-eyed bitches.

About the Author

Natalie Solmer was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, a granddaughter of Polish and German immigrants. She worked for many years as a horticulturalist and florist and is now an Associate Professor of English at Ivy Tech Community College. She also founded and edits The Indianapolis Review. She has been published in journals such as North American Review, Colorado Review, Pleiades, and Mom Egg Review. Her debut book of poetry, Water Castle, was recently published with Kelsay Books.