Cornflower Girl

by .chisaraokwu.

upon the death of J. Epstein

& then comes the rage
one palm wrapped
around his pulsing
blue-veined neck
its bloom ripening
under hot breath    its core
flowering in an astonished mouth
wide   pink    gaping    sharp-
toothed    this rage 
at one o’clock
in the morning flush-
ing her breasts    what her
mother once covered
with a blanket & hot milk
& watched as her skin turned
bluebrownpink    now open
to expose for one brief moment
the short fibres of mercy
only to be buttoned
once more in feverish bloom

.chisaraokwu. is an Igbo poet, actor, and healthcare futurist. Her work appears / is forthcoming in Zone 3, Grist, Cider Press Review, PANK, CV2, Obsidian, Tahoma Literary Review and others. She has been awarded fellowships and residencies with BANFF, Brooklyn Poets, Lemon Tree (Italy) and Cave Canem.