Icarus

Oh Icarus,

with your wings spread across skies you

move


Chase along the

backbone

of a persistent wind,


the excitement a

painting

across your cheek.


Had you remembered

the perilous disposition of a

severe Sun,

maybe the warning

would have registered itself


sooner.






Wakonyo A. Gachanja

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You, In Particular

The intricacies of this

thing

between us

settles on the pads of my

fingertips

like powdered sugar.


You see me with

all your senses –

they are full to capacity of the

parts of me that like

to stick to things –

and I am

nurtured and

expanding

here.


We are sealed shut

by destiny’s unwavering

hand.

I have

burrowed

into parts of you that you

hide away from

those whose hands are

callused

from prying,

which is to say all people,

with the exception of

myself.


As our bones

liquify and

fuse

into one hell of a

beautiful thing


I know that ours is

quite possibly

bigger than this life.


We are blooming as

the sun shines

upon us.









Wakonyo A. Gachanja

Trigger

Your mouth

fixes itself into

a grin

while you

drown

in your own

blood.


You triumph as

you push the

self-destruct

button.


Madness has

shaped itself into

human form

and you long for

quiet.


You are

sickened

by the

joy

of the pain.


The paradoxes

dance

in and out of your

periphery

but


you don’t care.


All this excitement is

hard on your body so

it lies prostrate waiting for


death.











Wakonyo A. Gachanja

Self: A Return

1.

I am so tired of battling with who I am.


2.

I want to come back into my own self. My bosom places sweet beckoning upon its lips. We have survived it all so far. Somehow. And there is more still.

3.

I sacrifice the remains of my self-hatred to something that shapes itself like deity.I am tired of wearing these ill-fitting untruths on me, I no longer revel in their weight.

4.

After, when all that is left on the alter is ash and whispers of memory, I will offer the remnants to the sea, to turn into something worth using. The sea is known for healing, after all.

5.

With the cleansing of flame, I am born anew. I have atoned. Enough. Enough with the self-punishment. I have more than paid for my sins, the real and imagined both.

6.

I finally see me. The stuff I am made of. I have turned blades into a blooming garden.






Wakonyo A. Gachanja

Naked and Unafraid

Kiss me

like you intend to

commit murder.

Lay everything on the floor.

Let anticipation fuel

desire.


Look,

the jacaranda leaves

fall

without fear.


Untangle yourself from

the clutches of

fear

and allow your

falling.


Let me put your

love

in my

breast pocket.


Here, have mine

in return.








Wakonyo A. Gachanja

Pliable

I want you to

pry me

all the way

apart.

I want to be

open and

pouring and

soft,

and utterly,

unabashedly

feminine.

After,

I want reminders of

you

all over my

body and

mind.

Encore.

Wakonyo A. Gachanja

Reflections by Moonlight

Deep Desire

sweeps me into the

depths of a

Full Moon.


Oh Mother Moon,

I flow out in waves,

liquid with want,

unable to resist the

pull of you.

My capacities fall

completely open.

They are laid out

side by side –

infinite –


How many forevers are

covered by the

blanket of

night?

Where does the space –

full of ever-expanding

universe –

end?

All this, as I

stare at

this grain of

sand.


It is

astounding,

the bigfulness

and

smallfulness


of it all.






Wakonyo A. Gachanja

Blades

Until the

shape

of a mouth

has undone you

you do not know

desire.

Wakonyo A. Gachanja

Pendulum

Glorious chaos

dances around in

circles.

The freedom of

movement

spreads it

around and

everything becomes

ashes.

Only after can

peace

find its way

back.

Wakonyo A. Gachanja