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Lori Jones (@lorijonespoet) · DIRTY

Lori Jones

@lorijonespoet

Dreamer. Artist. Poet. (she/her) My debut poetry collection, The Sweetening, is available now.

552 Folgt488 Follower59 Posts

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Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· 1d

The Key #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening #key

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· 5d

The Cycle #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening #cycle

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· 8d

A Conquered Curio #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· 12d

What it's like to be loved #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· 15d

Beyond the Chevron Signs #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· 19d

Compassion yields confidence #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening #compassion #confidence

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· 21d

i romanticize what's out of reach #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· 29d

Summer in the Suburbs at Seventeen #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening #summer

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jul 17

Panic #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening #panic

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jul 14

My Love #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening #mylove

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jul 10

Scar Tissue #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening #scartissue

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jul 7

The One #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jul 3

(Wo)Man Up #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

(Wo)Man Up

Suck it in. Tape it up. Smooth it down.
Lift and squeeze and plump and push up
Shave it. Tweeze it. Exfoliate it. (smile)
Firm, tighten, shrink it, cinch it
Curl, straighten, dye. Chop it?
Oh, no! Why?
Long is prettier
Better to style, braid, pull
Fit the fantasy
Glitter, glisten,gloss,glamorize
Makeup, but don't cake it up
Natural. Enhance. Emphasize.
Don't be fake, but fake it just right. (and smile)
Don't age. Don't gain. Don't sag. Don't slump.
Never complain
Be kind. Be funny-- only kind of funny
Tease, laugh, giggle. Keep it light
s m i l e m o r e. Grin and bear it
Just go with the flow; be spontaneous!
Don't be so uptight: SMILE!

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jun 30

Night #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening #Night

Night

In my greenness,
each darkness lasted an eternity
Frequented by spectral frights,
actual and unearthly
The clock ticked timidly
as I prayed to some good, any good,
to hoist the sun above the horizon
and exile the shadows
to someplace they couldn't reach me--
anyplace they wouldn't maim and mangle me
Yet no god did anything for me
but glare an antagonizing moony glint

Adolescence composed an afterglow
upon nightfall, a different darkness
More colorful and full of candor
Honesty showed itself under the stars
The soul couldn't hide--
Illuminated by the gibbous glow
Captivated by nature's hum
Persuaded by the leisurely pace,
verity revealed its unveiled face
A mystical climax, emotions intensified
The deep obsidian cleansed and clarified
the mind, creating a connected coherence
between all that I was and all that I wanted

In adulthood, night is simple, easy
Dusk to dawn: uncomplicated, peaceful
A sapphire spell for gentle brooding
and musing, a meditative gratitude
for all that is, for all that I have
A restful tranquility
for hours of reset and recuperation
Nothing to fear, nothing to confess
Relax with the rain, storms wash away
my history, my antiquity,
all the past mes and paternal pathologies,
previous paramours, affections and afflictions,
unexpected detours and old convictions
These nights refine. My former lives, mollified

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jun 26

cocooned #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

He didn't save me
but he showed me
safety
amidst my anxiety
The rush in my gut--
settled
The weight in my chest--
lifted
The gray in my brain--
transformed
into technicolor

- cocooned in my chrysalis,
he ensured
a protective environment
for me to emerge

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jun 23

horizon #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

You
into
me
Undulating like waves
Pull you in
with my tide

You ignite
my ardent soul
and set
my whole ocean
on f i r e

-your sun rises and sets
into my horizon

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jun 19

Morning Mantra #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening #morning

MORNING MANTRA

Arising at dawn

feels like a secret

Time belongs to me

It slinks along steadily,

speaking in hums and coos,

soothing my sleepy spirit

The sunrise favors me

to flourish like a daisy

s t r e t c h i n g,

unfurling its petals

after first light

What a sight

Mourning doves murmur

their morning mantra

Monogamous mates

embracing the awakening

as rays scatter

through the pines

I pour myself a cup

and submerge

into the sidereal shine,

ushering in the new day

and all the good

that is coming my way

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jun 16

#poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

You couldn’t achieve
the altitude
to see things clearly
or attain the aptitude
for choosing
the conscionable course

Does remorse grow
like vines around
your throat
constricting, choking
each time you contemplate
my pain?

Rather have you
whitewashed those recollections,
dampening my distress
with each thorny tightening?

Or does it ever
even cross your mind?

- maybe you’re dosed with a strategic amnesia
that leaves it all behind

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jun 12

Access #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

ACCESS

To know my soul
is sacred
and not shared
with those unsafe

Your privilege was born with me,
but you tore into my being
time and time again
revealing your truest,
tenebrous colors
when I’m not
who you want me to be

It’s a shame, really
I longed for connection
long before I needed
someone’s arms to hold me
Yet you only opened
yours to me caustically
Not honestly

I wanted you to be my safe space
until you turned sinister
Your smile filled with nails,
sharp and protruding

You’re under my skin,
imbedded there
like a splinter

I tried
because I know something
or someone
made you this way

Hurt people hurt people

Now I resent you
because you never took the time
to look deeper inside
the scariest parts of yourself
to heal wounds that obviously still torment
Wounds that have become you,
twisted you into terrible

There’s no accountability
You won’t look in the mirror
and think, am I in the wrong?
Could I have
said something,
done something,
used this piece as a pawn?

You can have the idle chatter
to construct your ideal narrative,
but I’ll leave out my intimate details,
the portions that make my picture whole

I’ve cut you off emotionally
Your victim mentality
Your silver spoon reality
drains and pains me

I have to protect my energy
You don’t get access
to the best parts of me
anymore

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jun 9

armor painted to look like skin #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Poem in book reads:

I fabricated walls
for protection
But as I grew up,
my fortress formed
a prison
Penance for a past life
maybe
Locking me in
and shutting out
the world
Disconnected
from my disposition
Soul severed
from body

- i wear armor painted to look like skin

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jun 5

innocuous & unknowing #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Poem in book reads:

Was it the softness of my body
or the innocence of my being
that painted the bullseye
on my chest,
defined me and assigned me?

Perhaps they both aligned
with our coordinates in time
and the madness in your mind

You poured me poison
and abused my bones

My eyes remember the bruises
that have since faded from my skin
I still see them there
l i n g e r i n g
like melanomas that have spread
through my dermis
and stained my soul

- i was only a child, innocuous and unknowing

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· Jun 2

when the truth bleeds out #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Poem in book reads:

I can run
but not from myself
Change the city
Alter the state
Anywhere I go
I’m left alone
The silence outside me
The chaos within
Miles between now and then
I move through the days
only for them to weigh on me later
Only for clarity to come
when there’s nothing left
to change
but myself

- my skin is a shroud—
what happens when i puncture it
and the truth bleeds out?

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· May 29

to become so gentle #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Poem in book reads:

They bludgeoned my flesh
with a mallet
and made me tender

You may not ever
understand the devastation
it took
to become
so gentle

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· May 26

Mama #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Poem in book reads:

MAMA

I didn’t know what you did for work
but you dressed up, patterned buttons
down your front, heels clacking
on the pavement as we hurried
to your white Pontiac
You lit a cigarette
and with each drag,
remnants of your ruby lips
transferred to the tip
You drove with just one hand
on the wheel, gold statement rings
adorning your sinewy fingers,
permed curls bouncing
from the cracked window breeze
You looked important to me
Confident and powerful,
ready for anything
because you’d already evolved,
endured years of valleys,
had scars on your spirit
that couldn’t be seen
Thirty-five and figuring out
how to balance
rediscovering yourself
and raising me,
all while building a life
with someone new

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· May 22

reckless/responsible #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Poem in book reads:

I dwell on our past
and things that never came to be
I wonder if you’re in my future,
if we’ll ever again meet
It’s unlikely
Our parallel paths
have many borders between them
Maybe we made too much sense
for the universe to put us together
No lessons to learn
No pain to mourn

except for my gutted chest—
just an empty cavity
where your heart
was supposed to fit

- how reckless my thoughts,
how responsible my actions

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· May 19

Saved on Sunday #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sweete...

SAVED ON SUNDAY

You titter and grin,
banter and jest,
radiating normal niceties—
but I see through
Whatever devil’s inside you,
you shut him up on Sundays
We dodge most sermons
except when you’ve fallen from grace,
when you need to be cleansed
Pass the plate
You’re generous
You fake it
irritatingly well
A wolf in a sheep’s suit,
frocked women flock to you
and cluck about how great you are
Like you’re the second coming;
forbidden fruit they’re craving,
but they shouldn’t indulge
You bask in your own glory
It’s horrifying
I hate bearing witness
to this falsity
They don’t know your monster
They don’t know how you release him
once you’re out of His house
and back in yours

It didn’t matter
who you hurt,
the wrecks you raged,
the fire and brimstone you rained
Monday through Saturday
because on Sunday
He absolved you
You’re washed in the whatever,
saved from yourself
But who is going to
s a v e m e
from you?

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· May 15

The first review I've received of my book (found on Goodreads). I'm mindblown by these kind words. Thank you for reading. 🥹💜 #poetryreview #bookreview #thesweetening

Review on Goodreads:

This poetry book felt less like reading and more like being understood. Every poem carried emotion in such a raw, honest way that I found myself stopping after certain pages just to sit with what I had read. The writing is beautifully vulnerable without ever feeling forced, and there's depth to these poems that lingers long after you finish the book. What i love most was how relatable it felt- heartbreak, healing, longing, self-discovery, love, loneliness- every emotion was captured with so much humanity and grace. Some lines hit so hard they felt like they had been pulled directly from my own thoughts. You can tell this wasn't written just to sound pretty; it was written to make people feel something, and it absolutely does. This is the kind of poetry collection you underline, revisit, and keep close to you when you need comfort or clarity. An unforgettable read. Easily a 5- star book for me.

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· May 15

AUGUST #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

AUGUST

Nightmares of you
showing up
as a joke:
Me, stepping out
of the limo,
egg in my face,
yoke drenching my lace
Laughter erupting,
pointing and mocking
An aisle of agitation
A fear-induced fantasy
that made my stomach
shiver

But there you were—
w a i t i n g
My gaze stuck
to yours,
sinking into
your raw honey
like a bee lost
in its honeycomb

A filter overlays
this memory
in my brain

Glittery golden
Intense greens
like just after rain

Cheeks sore
from my soaring spirit
Happiest of days
Heart ablaze
Finally safe
Wrapped in your warmth
while we sweep and sway,
I nestled into you

I found a home
in your arms,
strong and stable
I want to grow old
with you

For always,
August will be
o u r s

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· May 12

AS I LAY AWAKE #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

AS I LAY AWAKE

It’s best to not be seen or heard

To make him forget I’m even around

I stay up late

to ensure it’s safe

and dream of sneaking out:

Running and never stopping

I’m small and good at hiding

Tight spaces make me feel secure

But I’m stuck,

frozen in the blackness,

waiting to endure:

The coming days

The weeks I dread

The moods that swing

The nights in his bed

The uncertainty

The beatings

The tears

The creeping

When I’m forced to stand,

nose touching the corner

When his ego

turns him into a performer

When the sweltering heat

makes lashes sting longer

When his lies pile up

and everything’s wrong

I want to go home

but they don’t understand:

Why I don’t speak

Why I can’t meet their eyes

Why I’m tired

and skittish

Why I can’t sleep at night

Why visions torment me

and raised voices make me cower

Why I stand silently bedside

through the hours

Wavering

Waiting

Wanting

Craving comfort

and consolation

I need their attention

undivided

Arms around me,

hands stroking my back

I need them to ask

what I’m not supposed to tell

What I think they already know

but don’t want to admit

They mightn’t be sure of the extent

But here I lay

Awake

Afraid

Trapped in the dark:

The rhythm of his breath

The beat of his heart

Wishing for dawn

Hoping he sleeps in

Praying for something greater

to believe in

Lori Jones@lorijonespoet· May 5

Holes #poetry #poetrybook #thesweetening

Poem in book reads:

HOLES

There are holes in my memory
when it comes to you
Some things I remember vividly,
while others have been removed
There's spurts and remnants
fading in and out
Some good, most-- bad and ugly
whirling all about
They say your brain protects you
by blacking out the worst
Poems of blood and rust,
a Sharpie editing my words
I shouldn't want to remember
or even give your memory the time of day
But there's pain in disconnection
and there's a part of me
that needs answers
to why you treated me that way
Your wild fire scorched my earth
Lightning veins across my face

Sometimes you're all I see
when I look in the mirror

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