Content Warning: physical abuse
You opened your eyes under the sunset sky,
beneath its red hue that seemed like
someone had slashed its belly with a common knife,
and the wound had bled and spilled,
until the darkness buried it.
At dusk only books had been kind enough to tell you any stories.
You’ve been gentle, you’ve been kind,
you’ve suffered each kiss from navel to neck,
and your naked body had shivered with
or without her gentle touch.
At dawn you’d dreamt your guardian dead.
Lately he’s been softer, he’s been kinder,
after he’d twitched from navel to neck,
while his near-dead body had shivered with each electric touch.
Have you ever heard of the haunted and healed?
The pools of dripping tears, searing the bruises,
and your naked butt cheeks on his cold mahogany marble,
are still buried in the pensive dark.
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Hiten Chojer (he/him) is an Indian-born writer with one foot in the past and the other attempting to touch ground. He writes poetry and prose, often exploring themes of iden- tity, displacement, and mental health. He published his debut book ‘Gods of Anxiety Be Damned’ in 2023.
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