I wonder
how many of my cousins
have been touched in dark corners by
the faceless man with a familiar voice
Did they stand under the shower a little longer
that night cleansing their now permanently
scarred bodies and blighted souls
Did they curl up in bed barely blinking
willing themselves to forget until the cocks crowed.
I wonder if we sit with him at family reunions
eating, laughing,…
Family Reunions
I wonder how many of my cousins have been touched in dark corners by the faceless man with a familiar voice Did they stand under the shower a little longer that night cleansing their now permanently stained bodies and murky souls Did they curl up in bed barely blinking willing themselves to forget until the cocks crowed. I wonder if we sit with him at family reunions eating, laughing, questioning…
Living through the Seasons
You ever so deep in thought that you catch yourself talking out loud to the walls and furniture? This has been happening a lot lately; usually I find myself in this state when I’m frustrated, angry and/ or confused. Now if this happens to no one else, please note, I’m not crazy, everyone else is just boring. Anyway, as I said, this has been happening more frequently lately, and when I say lately…
I Went to Bangkok!
A little over a month ago, K and I, excited and a bit in our heads, arrived in Bangkok at about 1:55 PM, it then took us about an hour to get to our Air BnB, located in Lumpini. After which, us being the foodies that we are (her more than me), set out to find awesome Thai food. Luckily, we didn’t have to do much searching, as our excellent host provided us with a list of restaurants located in…
My heart is a cup overflowing
My mother told me to be careful of men who resemble my father- of men with hearts doused in olive oil, and minds chained to traditions long deserving of death. If I ever have a daughter, I’ll tell to be careful of women too. Those women who lie with pain in their voices and tears in their eyes. I’ll tell her, sometimes the best thing to do is to ignore her heart’s pleas so she can be moved by her…
When she left
When she left my soul imploded leaving behind the shell of a woman who needed but could not care for love. Three months passed as though nothing had happened, like a quarter of my soul wasn’t wandering Kingston streets unattached to me. When she left, I sauntered Tokyo roads nightly. I searched for her face among a colony of strangers. I soaked my mind in Gin. Indulged women in a string of 2 AM…
“Father”
Pity. After 25 years, he’s still blind to his folly. So engulfed in his delusions, he’s yet to see he’s inherited the soul of the man he despises the most. He’s a poor excuse for a father, a quarter of a man. It’s his name that tumbles through my mind like dead leaves on an autumn afternoon as I sit alone watching lovers walking hand in hand, wondering if I’ll ever treat Her like she is the Moon…
And these dreams of mine, they never lie.
I dreamt of you last night- You stood on the other side of the fence distracted by a woman I did not recognize. I wanted to call out to you- to tell you that not a day goes by that I don’t think of you. That even by day I dream of nights where we lay together in silence as I lose myself in the steady rhythm of you breathing. I dreamt of you last night- your lips curled, and your eyes watered as…
The Cleansing
This time, I won’t lie in bed staring blankly at the ceiling. There will be no sleepless nights or days without eating. I’ll remove you from my sight, erase you from my memory; make it so you never existed. I’ll fill my bathtub with scorching hot water, submerge myself until these lungs burn and beg for air. I’ll sit before my mirror, lather my body with olive oil. Look deeply into my eyes the…
2:47
In my darkest hour, I sang lullabies and whispered lies into the darkness I spoke to the walls, screamed at my reflection, I spiraled into madness I nearly broke an arm trying to make sense of the nightmare unfolding: In the space of a month I’d lost a mother and a friend. At 3:47, I curled my body into a child’s pose, I repeated your name a hundred times until it became breeze tickling my ear. I…