TAKE YOUR BOOTS OFF
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE WÜHRER
You smile too much she said / here hold this
a canon ball melon and the youngest octopus she could find
vacuum suckers / hungry mouths / she kept her boots on
This is serious business she said / naked
I told her I wanted her to leave / take it with you
she did not listen / smeared kiwi pulp into my hair
At least, I said, take your boots off
she wore an eel like a scarf / it was colder than just candles
It was colder than a lighter flame / it was cold
She had goosebumps like chicken skin / little vacuum suckers
the inverted belly buttons of hungry mouths
but she was stubborn / the eel was enough she said
and I confused tendrils of her hair
with octopus arms / they danced the same way / I said
If that’s the game we are playing / with orange pulp
ground it into paste with saliva / painted
her toes with it / nails like plum skin
the inside of her open mouth / not smiling