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by Dena Igusti

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TODAY EVIDENCE // HOLDS ITSELF // REASON TO PROVE MY HURT // A SERPENT SHEDS ITSELF // OF AN OLD SKIN // FORGETS WHAT IS LEFT BEHIND // I WANT TO REMOVE // CELLS, DEAD, GENETIC THAT HANG // OFF MY BODY // HOLD TRACES OF WHAT // WAS DONE TO ME WITHOUT BEING // SWALLOWED BY AN OCEAN // WHERE MY PEOPLE LAY // OR BY A MOUTH THAT WILL // REGURGITATE IT // TO UNRECOGNIZABLE MASS // SAY WHAT HAPPENED NEVER HAPPENED I SWEAR THIS MUCH // I WANT TO NOT BE AFRAID OF WATER AGAIN // I WANT TO NOT BE CROWDED BY // A WHITE MOUTH // WHEN MY PEOPLE // AND I // FEEL LIKE //AND OR ARE DYING // I WANT TO KISS ALL MY LIMBS // NOT GET FLASHBACKS OF A MOUTH THAT // SWALLOWED THEM TOO // THE TV FIZZES WHEN // MY HAIR STICKS TO // WAVES THAT DRAG MY PEOPLE TO // CNN’S EVER GROWING BODY COUNT // MY STRANDS STICK TO // THE MOUTH WHO LOOKS LIKE A MAN WHO HAS HURT ME // ACTS LIKE A MAN WHO HAS HURT ME // CALLS THE WAY HE HURT ME // A LIE // AGAIN // MY BODY LEADS ME TO // A FATE // ALL TOO FAMILIAR //

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Dena Igusti is a queer Indonesian Muslim writer. They are the author of CUT WOMAN (Game Over Books, 2020). Their work has been featured in BOAAT, Peregrine, and more. They are a Sundress Arts Resident, Best of the Net Nominee, Baldwin For The Arts Resident, and Seventh Wave Editorial Resident.