“epilogue” by Sal Kang

this is how our private gospel begins:

with my eyes eclipsing. you, dexterous, unlatching

my throatgate with one hand. your mouth parsing

every orifice i once called my own. our bodies

spread thin on the bed, curdling down

onto the floor. i scream tangible screams & ungirl

so masterfully in your hands.

to be honest, i used to understand sex

as arithmetic. i faked orgasms to adhere

to the zero-sum rule of pleasure. now,

when you take control, you seal my lips

like a borrowing. with my hands gone

we tangle bidirectionally, reminding each other

with every kiss— i exist i exist i exist

you hurt me & the hurt undoes itself

in 30 seconds. you hurt me & it feels good &

i sit in it for a while. when we finish,

you kiss everything, including my eyeballs.

when i forget how to breathe, you reteach it to me.

Sal Kang (They/them)
Sal is a professional sluggard and occasional writer. Their work has been published in Canvas Literary Journal, The Rappahannock Review, and Yes Poetry, among others. They tweet at @nini_kang.