From “The Girl Who Opened the Door” by Katherine Hoerth

From "The Girl Who Opened the Door"
by Katherine Hoerth

for the footprints of years flowing through me
like plasma, necessary and warm when freshly

pumped from the heart. And so when I opened
the door for you, let your thick body

through the threshold of my childhood
home, questions were never asked. All I knew

is that your skin made mine tingle, and my peeking curves
made your eyes burst to life like peony, underneath a blanket

Katherine Hoerth’s way with words makes it difficult what part of a poem I want to quote. As I scanned the pages of The Garden of Dresses, I landed on several verses. But “The Girl Who Opened the Door” gave me pause. It was the last two lines in the quote above that led me to choose it.

Sorry, I cannot write more on it other than the imagery was just spot-on perfect. And it’s only something she could have written so perfectly.

You can read it in full in The Garden of Dresses. That is if you’re able to find a copy.