Lust/er
soft(er) slanting poetry
Jasmine Pearls
amber in teacups/coffee shops/mouths/hands
pearls unfurl under the warmth of water
months spent airing leaves with blossoms
just to sit on the tongue with honey
for moment of a future memory
steeped too fast is to burn a tongue/essence/history/year(s)
unravel at the warmth of what drowns you
is to surrender to the will of tongues
to burn with water is to
take away the softness of spring
& let in the bitterness of passion and impatience
​
how selfish to drink (away) the memory of a flower/spring/being
for a moment of personal peace, a momentary fullness
& to remember everything but the taste of jasmine
rip the spirit from a blade born
to perfume the tongue held captive
behind lips that only kiss a stranger’s cup/hands/tongue
a leaf withers so the ghost of a blossom
might linger & lay upon its corpse
a courtships carried on (by) death
married by sweetness of amber born from wings long gone
to savor the splendor of spring in barren winter
so here we are. trapped in the amber, in death.
for Sabrina
sad girl who hates giggling girls.
yellow crayons
May we burn a souffle together one day.
crack an egg
and another day we can dance & giggle together
with only one hand
so that the other tragically sad girls can hate us
May we have bananas one day
but for now, yes for now, we have no bananas today
Perhaps you are the souffle
play his favorite song for me
lips of smoke and burnt sugar
something so sweet becomes bitter
by over-eager lapping of flames
and that love might be rejected for being too consuming
by mouths or tongues
burn the tender tethers of gluten
deny the softness of hands for sturdy picket fences
or forget the fire
daydream together until we no longer need this oven
