Body
She is body and something sickly.
Bare chest temptress
tell me quickly
how long it takes to undress
bloated abdomen
translucent skin
sticks to satin
peel fabric
she is body and something delicate.
Glass vessel blown around organs
a construct of fragility
some dichotomy
sense and
sensuality denied
product and object
but never siren
she is body and something wild.
Render vulnerability to violence
resist the urge to act defiant
disrupt presumption of incapacity
scream unruly
at consumption
mistake awareness for seduction
by a body never mine.
Chantelle Van Vuuren (she/her) grew up in Tāmaki Makaurau and daydreams about being a full-time writer in her law lectures. You can find her work in Circular and The Quick Brown Dog.