tin can phones

sonnet sequence, part 1.

Dialogue excerpted from Jhumpa Lahiri's "Sexy," from her collection of short stories The Interpreter of Maladies:


Rohin [age 9-10ish, to Miranda, age 22 ]: you're sexy.

Miranda: What does that mean?

Rohin: I can't tell you.

Miranda: Why not?

Rohin: It's a secret.

Miranda: Tell me.

Rohin: It means loving someone you don't know.




We Think We Want

I.

I marry in my mind each man I meet--
orchestrate the stained-glass and the church bells--
color in our children's eyes, paint the street
on which our humble home will sit. Farewells
impossible. No binding's strong as this:
Eros born of mystery, distance. And so
each sweaty palm, passing glance, tooth-knock kiss
becomes a relic. Likewise, many know
my head-tilt, hipbone dip--but will never
hear my secrets. You, your indifference,
however, spoon-scrapes my calyx, severs
tongue, finger, heart strings one by one, and since
you teach me hunger, stranger, eat of me
and stay the you I don't want you to be.

posted by Nadyja Cree @ 1:27 AM