In nots / genevieve kersten 

in this not place she is still with me

it is easy to forget where and when I am

swim the surface of not water

taste the sound of rocks below

in the not here the people we believed each other to be

exist in broad strokes

but even in our nowhere the lake reeds stretch out their arms

pull me down to count fathoms

the weight of not her settles in my chest

I wake missing the version of her that never existed

and the version of me that does not yet know that

Genevieve Kersten is a writer and professional semi-finalist. Her poetry has appeared in Helen: A Literary Magazine and Here Comes Everyone. She is poetry editor of Okay Donkey Magazine. Find her on twitter @genekresten or @okaydonkeymag.