Lust

Odilia Rivera Santos

i am practicing frugality

in the realm of desire

there's a consciousness to it

a warm feeling of resignation

I eschew cowardice


and not just cause I like the word eschew


embrace denial

as i would you if

it were a neat

tidy sweetcalm

thing to do

i overuse adjectives

as i would like to overuse you

without causing harm, without pretension

devoid of thought

i could lance

my self into new abysseses or abysi

but no

a long wait


pro - lon - gation

of

this

moment

appeals but not

the discomfort of

how i draw a breath in

as you walk toward

but i can live well on

how i breathe out

relieved

to touch

your sleeve

in what appears

an innocent way

not something dreamt about

and that will be stored to further

the narrative of


another night's

dreams