Lilith - By Mahlatse Magau

Written By: Mahlatse Magau

Category: Poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, Mahlatse Magau, writing under the name Lilith, presents "Lilith," a captivating poem that delves into the depths of desire and identity. This piece invites readers to explore themes of sensuality and self-discovery through its rich imagery and evocative language. Magau's work stands out in the poetry category, offering a unique perspective on the complexity of human emotions and relationships.

About the Work

"Lilith" is an intricate tapestry of emotions, weaving together themes of desire, identity, and liberation. The poem's vivid imagery and rhythmic cadence create a sensuous and introspective mood, inviting readers to reflect on the nature of intimacy and self-awareness. Through its exploration of astrological symbolism and personal reflection, the poem challenges traditional notions of love and connection, presenting a powerful narrative of empowerment and authenticity.

Lilith

Original Submission by Mahlatse Magau

Lilith

If I didn’t know any better,

I would think that this Saint Celine wine

was to be consumed dripping off your lips.

That the vineyard aged it for the exact

moment your mouth met mine.

The velvet finish, dark plum, the aromas

and subtle notes of flavour behind the

sweet red is lust.

Not love; no, not that diluted nectar they

serve in public. But not just any lust.

The kind that flickers behind closed curtains.

That waits patiently in the throat

until one gasp sets the whole room on fire.

Lust, aged in a woman’s hips,

bottled in the hollow of her throat,

uncorked only when the moon is thick

with mischief and even the stars avert

their gaze.

I sip slowly.

You, watching me over the rim of your

glass, ask for nothing because lovers like

you never beg.

You summon . Conjure.

You exist like a question that burns

the tongue: what if god was a woman

with her legs open and her shame undone?

You, Leo Sun, heart-forward, spine

straight, born to be seen. Your Cancer

Moon gives you away in the quiet; the

way you touch like you’re reading my fears aloud,

the way you listen to my inner thoughts like music.

Your Virgo Venus doesn’t rush.

She studies. She crafts pleasure like it’s a

ceremony, clean sheets and trembling

hands, arousal dressed in precision.

Every kiss from you is proof:

intimacy is an art of noticing.

My Pisces Sun, all fog and ocean-floor knowing.

A body made of memory and imagination.

I feel you before you speak.

My Libra Mars seduces in symmetry ;

a slow undress, a balanced inhale,

a gaze that lingers just long enough to ask:

“Do you want me soft, or real?”

My Aquarius Venus wants you to want

my mind, but tonight she wants to be

touched until thought disappears. Virgo

Rising meets Leo Rising in candlelight,

and the air becomes stage and sanctuary.

Your devotion in detail.

My divinity in chaos.

You whisper my name like a prayer you

don’t need answered. Your hands roam like

you’ve mapped this terrain before, a cartographer

of soft danger, charting where my pulse betrays me.

You don’t ask for permission. You wait for surrender.

And I give it.

Every part of me that’s ever been told to

sit still,be nice ,keep clean, call back, they

dissolve beneath the weight of your wanting.

You pronounce my name like

you’re tasting it for its power.

I arch into your mouth

and meet myself there…

feral, fevered, free.

There is nothing soft about this love.

Lilith, you are a sacrament we do not

deserve, but still, we kneel. Not in worship but

in full-body confession. Each kiss between us

an absolution without penance.

Each moan, a psalm unsanctioned by scripture.

We part for you, not like an opening, but a return.

There’s no shame in this altar.

No guilt in this gospel.

Lilith, they warned me about you in

hushed tones; called you a siren, cursed witch,

a seductress. Said we’d ruin men, ruin order, ruin

God’s design. But you? You meet me in ruin

and find ritual. And when we’re spent,

when your breath steadies against my back,

when even the stars look away in reverence…

I realise:

This is not sin nor shame. This is soul.

This is Saturn watching us rewrite the script.

This is the past collapsing under the weight of our want.

And me?

I do not apologize for being the desire they

burned in fire.

Because tonight, we are Lilith.

We have no reason to fear each other.

You drink what drips and bless what was banished.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious platform celebrating diverse voices in poetry and creative writing from around the world. This competition encourages participants to explore and express their unique perspectives through the written word, fostering a global community of literary enthusiasts and emerging talents.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mahlatse Magau for sharing "Lilith" with us in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your poetic exploration of desire and identity offers a profound and enriching experience for readers. We look forward to witnessing more of your remarkable literary journey.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.