by Amara George Parker
our tongues dance around a segment of truth
held — savoured — by hungry mouths.
it threatens to burst
orange pip slow, spreading
potent tendrils
across barren earth.
with it,
ashes taste sweet
and dotted streetlights twinkle
as starlight refracted.
lateral, fricative,
wane to palatal babble
and I take everything off —
no more covers for lovers,
hushed pretences
uttered like whispered crimes lest
my own ears catch
shame-skinned words
as they filter
into the stratosphere and hang
s u s p en d e d.
our tongues dance
around a segment of truth
and under an orange dusk
truth swells
grotesque.
the night is slick with mirthless shadows
and truth hangs
like a slack jawed moon —
juiceless, wavering, distorted in neglect.
our tongues dance
around a segment of truth and then,
setting dust ablaze
amidst the dusk orange sky,
I set loose the syllables and unhook the façade
that until now
tomorrow’s seconds could have hidden behind.
Amara George Parker is a London-based writer. Their short story, Rafterland, appears in Mslexia’s Other Worlds issue, and their poetry has been published in literary magazines including Spoon Knife, Sufi Journal, and Earth Pathways diary.
As a queer disabled writer, they hope their work offers readers an inclusive perspective. When they’re not writing, they love being immersed in nature or listening to something sultry or funky. They’d love to chat to you about literature, drag, disability, paganism, and boats. Will read your tarot for a price. Follow them on Instagram @a_g_parker.
