“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.