Tug-of-War | Nancy Manning

Ours was a bond of pulling. 

You attracting with 

sapphire eyes, a shy

smile. Me extracting your thoughts— 

longing to call you more than Beth’s brother,

wanting to understand

why darkness plagued you.

You signed a letter “Fondly,” sang

me “Golden Slumbers.” I found

your heart tender, 

repositioned footing. 

Dreamt we’d clasp hands, 

hungered to feel your lips find mine.

I tightened my grip

as I strained, 

pulled harder, harder.

Hands blistered with blood. 

The rope began to fray.

I let go. You fell back,

stepped away. Your pulse difficult

to track. News of your suicide strangled

like a cord around my neck. 

If we were given one day, I’d hold on

longer, bleed from wounds even deeper.

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Nancy Manning holds an MFA in poetry from Southern Connecticut State University. Her work has appeared in an eclectic mix of publications, most recently Humans of the World, Noctua Review and Unmagnolia. Her poetry collections are entitled Amethyst Garden, The Unspoken of Our Days, and What Glues Us Together; her novel Undertow of Silence won the TAG publishing award. She has given readings throughout New England. An avid reader, she participates in two book clubs and two writing workshops. She also teaches high school English classes.