the night statics
with the heat of your invite.
you shape soft rubies of lava
in your throat,
turn me to devour.
my body now whistles
with the steam of no mercy.
i sprawl on your veranda
like summer’s first breath.
you linger, disturb my waters.
these rivers dissect
only to be seamed together
by sinew of moonlight, the air
hollow of birdsong
until you exhale their bones.
Ami Patel (she/her) is a queer, diasporic South Asian poet and Young Adult fiction writer. She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and Tin House alum. Ami’s poems are published in various places,including perhappened mag, The West Review, and Moss. You can find her online at amipatelwrites.com.
Occulum 