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2022 C.D. Wright/Academy of American Poets Prize

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Believe Me

by Vasantha Sambamurti
 

I can tell when men look at you because you’re beautiful versus when men look at you because you are shape versus when men look at you because you’re bare thigh versus when men look at you because you are sheer body lace versus when men look at you because you are sprite versus when men look at you because you are spry versus when men look at you because you are lithe versus when men look at you because you are chef’s kiss exotic drum music plays BOOM BOOM namaste baby music brays when you quake versus when men look at you because you are  brittle wrist no circumference versus when men look at you because you are supple slender hip versus when men look at you because you are young versus when men look at you because you are ass versus when men look at you because you are void pit versus when men look at you because you are creature of sharp tooth and tongue versus when men look at you because you are sweet concussion versus when men look at you because you are shit talking hair pit versus when men look at you because you are tight versus when men look at you because you are honeyed pubic versus when men look at you because you are pelvic versus when men look at you because you speak versus when they look at you because they like the shape of your mouth when it speaks versus when they look at it because it is open versus when they look at it because it is it’s not and they’re trying to figure out to prise your teeth apart and snap them off so there’s no bite when they bark versus when they prise your teeth apart to make you sing all night long because blood drums play when your teeth get out of the way means I know when men look at you to hear you whimper not sing versus when they look at you because you are a sunny coquettish thing and they will be looking and looking and looking Believe me

This poem first appeared in The Hunger.

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