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The Courtesan's Reply - Tambulasena
In the beginning
my whole body was covered with skin
hard as rock. Then he came
and his mouth was a river
running over me, cool and quick
with small, silver fish.
Night after night
he shaped me
and smoothed me
down
to my velvet
bones.
*
Now, I bathe while he watches,
feel his eyes,
fireflies on my skin.
I bend over,
my hair, a curtain of water
between us.
I let him towel me dry,
his strokes soft at first, then brisk,
like a cloth shining a lamp.
Water drips down
my back. He grasps the rope
of my hair and climbs.
- » Read notes
- Poet:
- Shazea Quraishi
- Original language:
- English
- Issue:
- Series 3 No.12 - Freed Speech
About the author
Original poet
Shazea Quraishi
Shazea Quraishi was born in Pakistan, grew up in Canada and lived in Madrid before moving to London where she works as a write...
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