salt, citrus, and sweat

i want to go to that place

that place where a permanent citrus sweat

permeates the air

a scene that is forever vignetted by olive trees

and grape groves

and bikes with baskets

and my lust and longing to live in this june, july, and august—indefinitely

take me to that place

where my skin peels alongside the iron chairs

i want to sit somewhere you can feel the sun

even in the shade

let me smell the nearby sea

and sip on coca-cola

with lemon

the way it’s meant to be

i want my body—sticky

i want my hair shampooed—with salt  

i need this place

so that i can pretend like all of my failures

aren’t my own fault