Merna Dyer Skinner

Merna Dyer Skinner (she/her) is a poet and communications consultant living in Portland, OR. Her poems appear in numerous US and international journals including: Whale Road Review, Chiron Review, Rust & Moth ONE ART, Lily Poetry Review, and The Baltimore Review, among others, and six anthologies. She was a finalist in the 2023 Crosswinds Poetry Contest. A Brief History of Two Aprons, was published by Finishing Line Press. Merna is finalizing her first full-length collection, and is editing an anthology of fishing poems by female poets.

WHEN WE WERE TOO YOUNG

To read the words on the box / of Blue Diamond
Matches / you were old enough / to strike
the stick tips / sending red / and yellow sparks
into the air / We danced around falling
flames as you flung the matches / one / by one /
onto the linoleum floor / your Buster Brown shoes /
stomping on the heat / burnt smudges / left
to be explained / when your grandfather returned /
and beat your bottom / the same one you showed
me / behind the old lady’s house / next door /
I showed you mine / too / the two of us /
with no interest / in our other parts /

When we were too young / to read
titles / on Saturday morning cowboy shows /
you were old enough / to lift a gun—
your grandad’s pistol / found in his camper /
the one with the burn marks / on the floor /
You were strong enough / to point the gun /
at my chest / when I refused to hand over /
my Annie Oakley holster / You were loud
enough / to bring my mother / running /
from the house / down the steps / to swoop
me / from the path / not knowing
if you / were weak enough / to pull the trigger