2 Poems
Christine Shan Shan Hou
THE PLAYROOM FLOOR
I appreciate the aesthetics of one thing
being plugged into another thing
A soft male hand inserting a cable
into the back of a neck
A soft male hand further softening
from never working a day in its life
The owner of the neck
all fours of the playroom floor
This is what happens when you become
a comfort creature of a certain age
This final act is about futility
This movie is about living life to its fullest
This poem is about life
about to begin
SECOND PLAYDATE
I want to polish
behind your screen
until you glisten
behind the scenes
where I can
rub your shiny face
into dirt for free
See what happens
when I step on it
See what happens
when I spit in its mouth
See what happens
when I slap it
under golden light
I like to play
Would you like to play
inside the geode in my foyer
Or would you rather
admire the poems
in the LA palm trees
flitting lifelessly in the wind
Christine Shan Shan Hou is an artist and poet based in New Jersey. Her publications include Playdate (White Columns, 2022), The Joy and Terror are Both in the Swallowing (After Hours Editions 2021), and Community Garden for Lonely Girls (Gramma Poetry 2017). Her artwork has been exhibited at White Columns and various galleries in New York City. Her fourth collection of poetry, A PROMISE is forthcoming from blush in 2025.