Jam Jar
Briana Naseer
Jar feels like jaw,
the gritty edge of bone,
the hook of chin sharp,
turning with teeth—
Jar feels like jam
how it gets stuck in those teeth,
finding the strawberry seeds
speckled in the crevices for days after.
Jar feels like the pop
of the lid from the lip,
the jam smooth and bejeweled,
gelatinous and untouched beneath.
Jar feels like the butter knife
insistent against the glass,
trying to reach as much
saccharine sweet as possible.
Jar feels like the airtight
kiss of the lid back into the lip,
the hard seal a promise,
sharp again.
Briana Naseer is a Pakistani-American school psychologist and poet living in Chicago, Illinois. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida, and a master’s degree in education and an education specialist degree from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her debut poetry collection is entitled Rind.