My mother told me
not to give away
my body
to just anyone
The way she says it
makes me think they’ll
peel my skin off
T(he)y will peel my skin off
(All three layers)
gently
with deft hands
and find everything t(he)y
want(s) to devour
He will scrape
off some stubborn skin
Maybe shave it off in
fine strands which will
curl delicately
Afterwards
he will find voices
and echoes inside
Mumma thinks t(he)y will
finda all the onomatopoeias
tucked away in my corners
and steal them
Less does she know,
my distant lover and I
always stumble upon silences
too silent to even write about
…..
– Ananya Maheshwari
