“Promises of a Matryoshka Doll”

Did you mean for your hands to curl briefly over mine?

Because the static pulse of mere skin on skin

have sent the bees in my mouth into a buzzing frenzy.

Did you mean for your name to get stuck

between these piano teeth? Because I can’t help but notice,

the weathering on the strings—

and how they don’t hum right anymore.

What I’m getting at is this:

I will hold you accountable for waking this hunger in me,

This insatiable appetite to hold your light.

What I’m saying is—

I will teach you what it means to be someone’s

hopeless despair, their hungry fervour.

I will teach you what it means to be devoured whole.

Poetry arrangement by Sydney Kim