By Rochelle D’Silva

Turn my stomach
into a loveseat
My chest—
into a bridge
My sides—
into cushions

Melt me
with your eyes

Lean into me
as if I am the answer

Teach me to
abandon all my questions

Turn my toes into
your own personal
scratch pad

Rub your face against
my fingertips

Wrap your tail
around my ankles

Stand on my feet
Sleep on my thighs

Turn my insides
into jelly

Exhaust
my affection

Expect
the unexpected            

Turn me
again and again

I am yours

Rochelle D’Silva is a performance poet based in Goa. Her poems give voice to feelings of displacement, love and loss. She has been a part of numerous literary festivals and has performed on stages across India, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Nepal. In 2019 she started ‘The Poetry Retreat,' a residency for poets in India. She has two spoken word albums, A Thin Veneer of Coping and Best Apology Face, and her collection of poems, When Home Is An Idea, has been widely appreciated as a conduit to talk about identity and belonging. She endorses hugs. Find her online here.

Banner picture by Alexander Krivitskiy. Downloaded from Unsplash.com