The Origins of Love

By Shreyaa Deori

in the oddities of my imagination,

sex was discovered when

even the highest degree of closeness,

the tightest of hugs,

the most desperate of kisses,

failed two lovers.

we have killed

every molecule of space between us,

chopped, stabbed and shot them off.

i ask you to come closer

and your body moves

almost as if you had tumbled

onto the same thought as mine

about the origin of sex.

the universe is a chaos

the glorious result of cosmic collisions;

i see us create our universe

before my eyes today.

my vocal chords are burning

and my mouth is a

f

i

r

e

e

s

c

a

p

e

i let your name out of my mouth,

repeatedly, incessantly, making sure you’re alive;

a tennis ball in a colourless court,

a person with OCD.

in the background were words

from languages worldwide

cursing me with pitch forked tongues

because i had put them in jeopardy.

for as long as your name

could roll out of my mouth,

all other words knew of their futility;

to pray, i’d only utter your name,

for gratitude as well,

your name seemed to suffice.

By Shreyaa Deori