“Willing” by Anthony Romello Salandy

A ballroom opens to the clatter
Of common feet
Where hand in hand we travel long distance
In search of singular embrace,

But sauntering hands clasp my belt
And pull your collar closer,
As to jive and tremble your hands lower
To more temperamental zones

Where under low lit candle flame
We blend into masses caressed
By that accepted two and two,
But as tempo descends into a melancholy,

And rooms begin to erupt
With the tenebrosity of bestial bodies
Can I find your hands in control
Of my waist as vermouth falls

And your beard brushes my ear
As consent is redeemed
And grips are sutured to my hips
Locked in motion

And willingly, yours. 


Anthony Romello Salandy (He/him)
Anthony is a mixed-race poet & writer of color whose work tends to focus on social inequality throughout late-modern society. Anthony travels frequently and has spent most of his life in Kuwait jostling between the UK & America. Anthony’s work has been published 65 times. Anthony has one published chapbook titled The Great Northern Journey.  Twitter/Instagram: @anthony64120.