"he asks me what i do
i tell him i work for a small company
that makes packaging for—
he stops me midsentence
no not what you do to pay the bills
what drives you crazy
what keeps you up at night
"i tell him i write
he asks me to show him something
i take the tips of my fingers
place them inside his forearm
and graze them down his wrist
goose bumps rise to the surface
i see his mouth clench
muscles tighten
his eyes pore into mine
as though i'm the reason
for making them blink
i break gaze just as
he inches toward me
i step back
"so that's what you do
you command attention
my cheeks flush as
i smile shyly
confessing
i can't help it"
-rupi kaur
You glance at me in my covers
And I say,
"That's not how you judge me."
You ask me where I come from
And I say,
"That's not how you meet my mother."
You repeat what's rumored of me
And I say,
"That's not what you think of me."
You lift me from the backbone
And I say,
"That's not how you support me."
You open me up
And I say,
"That's not where we start."
You skim my suave skin
And I say,
"That's not how you live with me."
You twist my arm behind me
And I say,
"That's not how you tame me."
You press me like iron
And I say,
"That's how I'm perceived."
You lean in to listen
And I whisper,
"That's how you consume me."
You bow your back
And I whisper,
"And now I consume you."
You sit quiet despite me
And I disclose,
"That's how you read me."
Then I hum and wait.
YOU ARE READING
Constructive Poetry Anthology
PoetryConstructive poetry: a new genre of poetry that uses insubstantial nuggets of writing as the seeds to grow more robust and lush wordscapes, and a collaborative opportunity in which the Wattpad community can lend a hand in propagating this garden of...
