Of course you went straight
to the queer section – with your purple
hair pulsing, upside down pink triangle
radiating from your tattooed wrist.
There’s a closet of cards glitter
flavored and rainbow wrapped,
but none for the polyamorous.
Your love is still a niche
market. I whisper commitments
of one and only – promises
you’re not in the business of keeping.
You’ve curated a relationship
museum littered with expiration
dates. The girlfriend who wrapped
you in a brand new coat, but someone
else was already keeping you
warm. The boyfriend who wanted you
to move in, but you’d already signed a lease
on another love. You got married
knowing she’ll only second
guess each new cake you bake, wonder
who you plan to serve
it to. Let me guess –
are you going to eat it, too?
You keep her gold-tied
around your finger, but you’ll swipe
right on anyone, won’t you?
I’ll save you a sentiment in the divorce
section. You’re just keeping your options
open for when they can’t
hug you without getting a headache
from the smell of someone else’s
shampoo. You want to play
house with new someones
anytime the music unspooling
from your love’s lips becomes background
noise. It’s too familiar. You think
it’s okay because everyone’s agreed
to this arrangement?
You’re just cheating
with permission. I’ll bet your floors
are muddled with apology
notes. You want too much.
Or maybe you’re just fucking
too much. Wrong store –
we are wholesome here. You wander
down this gallery
of greetings – we both know
you won’t find the one. I watch
you walk down the aisle toward
the arts section instead. You come
back grasping markers: the peach
of her lipstick prints, burgundy
roses blooming, his emerald eyes,
the indigo sky from your late
night drives. These colors ink
out from each altered
hallmark. The linoleum floods in poly-
chrome pools. You rewrite my insides
to say, When faced with one and only,
I choose
to believe
love exists
in infinities.
Tyler Hurula (she/her) is a poet based in Denver, Colorado. She is queer and polyamorous, and is a cat mom to two fur babies and a plethora of plants. Her poems have been published previously in Anti-Heroin Chic, and Aurum Journal. Her poems feature love, polyamory, family, growing up, and being queer. Her top three values are connection, authenticity, and vulnerability; she tries to encompass these values in her writing as well as everyday life.
Quartz Literary 