"houseplant tooth transplant" by shaoni rakshit

​something happened to me / the swiss knife chipped off a strand of my tooth / now i miss zero point zero zero one percent of enamel / nobody notices it is gone / my tongue laps the cliff of my incisor for the downward jag / is this not how damage works / nursing what is not with you / yet we all go –
 
swimming in cesspools of lachrymation / so much of salt would look like white sand / i have not been to a beach in a loop of weeks / my skin verbosely dilates like a profane sore / there is so much of my body / if he started kissing me it would never end / play with my hair / play with the dead / it makes me –
 
wonder about desire / how it devours its own skin / leaves a festering cavity / but make a habit out of something it becomes a chore / you brush your teeth / spit lust into the sink / turn off the tap / zip up your pants / you end up no better than the parasite wildflowers / in nondescript backyards / someone deigns to water you / lustily lick each molecule / that seeps through your fissured tooth

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Shaoni is a Literature student based in India, who likes most plants and animals, and dislikes most people. An avid enthusiast of eclectic playlists, she also enjoys being in the wrong place at the right time. For more, you can find her on Instagram at @shaonirak.