GRAPHESTHESIA

This is how I learned

to love

words traced on my back

letter by letter

fingertip language of my sisters

the body a book

the body an ear

an amphora filling

a slate wiped clean

first an L—the quick plunge

then plank at the waistband

an O—bumping over

the shoulder blade

L…  O…

was it LONG?

was it LOW?

was it LOOP?

make it LOVE

I begged

for the sweep of their hands

on the page of my back

it was LOVELY

Published in Whale Road Review, Summer, 2019

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