Venom

By Neesha Rumi

I haven’t moved

In so long that

Grass has begun

To grow through

My thighs – my feet –

My hands that rest beside

Me – my knees are knots

Like roots of trees

By my window –

I want to kiss you

But I’m afraid

Of killing you – (Poison

Ivy is no longer fiction) –

I cannot tell you

How I wish I could

Gnaw at the dust on the

Moon – it is so far – but

It seems closer to me

Than you –

‘Skin hunger’ – they are

Calling it – the hunger

Of a flower that blooms –

Full of nectar in its

Womb – but the bees

Are glued to the

Honey-comb

And the humming birds

Have had their wings

Plucked out –

That pain is so different

From the pain of the flower

That cannot feed its

Nectar – when death

Means being unable to

Give – Isn’t that how love

Works? – more painful

For the want of giving

Than for the want

Of receiving – hanging

You know how you can

Hang on to hope – Hope

Of having – of what we hunger for –

Somewhere –

The sweet sugar that

Hurts the tooth is more

Wounded by the pain it

Causes than the pain

Of being swallowed whole –

If you can bite my bone –

Bite it – if you can save my

Blood for your life

Tomorrow – take it –

My mouth cannot handle

Your name anymore – the air

In my lungs is running

Out – same as yours –

I would breathe life into

All of you if my very

Breath wasn’t your venom –

Grief is for the young –

My little love – My life

Is an envelope for yours –

You did you have the time

That the heart – the lungs –

The gut need – No matter –

My love – I can feel your grief

For you – as you snatch freedom

Between your teeth –

By Neesha Rumi