EROS
︎︎︎ Cole Henry Forster
︎ Oct 13, 2026
Eros the banal, eros the disobedient,
Eros on the 5 o’clock news, a reel about Eros,
bookmarking Eros to watch Eros on my phone later,
Eros manifestly stupid, still bound to the dining chair,
and the guests will wonder why the sheets in the guestroom
look like that and it’s also because of Eros.
But when Eros goes old-school, steps to the ledge,
says “σ'αγαπώ,”
beckons to love,
what direction is he facing?
Which god is invoked?
And please, please don’t make me finger you again,
at this restaurant, with everyone eating Caesar salad.
Don’t make me do that
because I might actually have a nice time.
Eros on the 5 o’clock news, a reel about Eros,
bookmarking Eros to watch Eros on my phone later,
Eros manifestly stupid, still bound to the dining chair,
and the guests will wonder why the sheets in the guestroom
look like that and it’s also because of Eros.
But when Eros goes old-school, steps to the ledge,
says “σ'αγαπώ,”
beckons to love,
what direction is he facing?
Which god is invoked?
And please, please don’t make me finger you again,
at this restaurant, with everyone eating Caesar salad.
Don’t make me do that
because I might actually have a nice time.
Cole Henry Forster is a poet living in Ottawa. His forthcoming collection Marble Afternoons will be published in 2027 by Prickly Exports in Montreal.
Also by Cole: GALILEE