Scorched earth love
You preferred
to make love slowly,
as if you were afraid
that any increased speed
would cause friction
that would spark the oxygen
we hadn’t yet used,
sending up
the room around us.
I preferred
the speed of passion
and impurity,
because with my
dying-from-the-inside-out,
scorched earth
approach to love,
I’d rather turn out the lights
just to watch us burn.
“Scorched earth love” won Honorable Mention in the 2017 Al Savard Memorial Poetry Contest of the Connecticut Poetry Society
Published by
Steven Harz
Steven Harz was the 2013 winner of the international People’s Poetry Contest and is a three-time winner of The Iron Writer Challenge. Steve still writes poetry, but now it rhymes and is put to music – either acoustic with a Martin or electric with a Gretsch.
Songwriting influences are: John Prine, Townes Van Zandt, Blze Foley, Jessi Alexander, Tyler Childers, Lori McKenna, Gabe Lee, Luz, Cleto Cordero, Jason Isbell, and of course, Willie and Dolly!
Music is available on all streaming platforms – please check it out!
Steven Harz Music 
Leave a Reply