ISSN: 1941-4137
POETRY THAT ENACTS THE ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE PURITY OF GLASS
POETRY THAT ENACTS THE ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE PURITY OF GLASS
Mehrnoosh Torbatnejad is the daughter of Irooni immigrants, a worshipper of space and hyacinths, and an Oscar the Grouch apologist. Her poetry has appeared in Asian American Writers' Workshop, The Missing Slate, and is forthcoming in Tinderbox Poetry Journal. She is the poetry editor for Noble / Gas Qtrly, and is a Best of the Net, Pushchart Prize, and Best New Poets nominee. She lives in New York where she practices matrimonial law.
Quick Question for a Palm Weevil
A hand reached for your damp body
as you dined on the starchy pith
of a palm decaying, you squeezed
your own muscles in sequence and fear,
thrusting your weight in waves against
the fingers that would drop you
onto his plate; he first watched
the host teach him how to feast on what
still breathes, he then told me he held
your squirm the color of lemon cream
and bit into a struggle, tore your head
capsule away from the rest of you,
he said he was relieved he could not hear
you scream, he said you tasted like butter;
so here is my question, palm weevil,
writhing larva, legless piece decapitated
between teeth: before your rhythmic agony
became unbearable, before you were torn
to bits and chewed to death, while your
cries went unheard or just ignored —
did you slide your tongue against his,
did you get a taste of him too; I am here
listening to this with my head intact
in no one’s mouth, envying you
Glass: A Journal of Poetry is published monthly by Glass Poetry Press.
All contents © the author.
All contents © the author.
