Bucket list and Other Poems

    by Megan Dhakshini

    1.

    It is your thrust that shakes me; Your arrogant command
    of our breath our flesh
    our luscious hunger.

    A rhythmic tearing apart of
    rules
    and reservations a
    throbbing theatrical
    tidal wave.

    2. Parasite

    You have given of yourself,
    unwillingly.
    Tomorrow, I will still thirst for
    more.

    3.

    My fingers are numb now;
    from holding tight to
    my heart
    and yours.

    I did not feel them fall.

    4. Beast

    Wolf,

    I no longer hear you howl gnarl pant tear growl
    sniff

    wild with hunger carnal
    crude crass your breath
    bloodied,

    your flesh seeking flesh,
    your teeth gripping
    less

    than will satiate you;
    Beast,
    on the prowl,
    hungered hunter,
    your lament
    floats on the wind a
    whimper
    a low yowl
    moaning
    moaning
    mourning.

    5. Bucket list

    To cut my tongue on
    the blades
    of your shoulders
    again.

    To bleed sin.

    To drip pleasure. To
    ooze red.

    6.

    Ask us,

    what we build our days on-

    what word-scraps we scavenge upon, malnourished and greedy at once
    for what is accidentally
    spilt,
    crumbs
    morsels
    involuntary offerings,
    hope-
    in infinitesimal
    portions.

    7. Observing pain

    I stand by the sink, the grease of
    guilty pleasures
    under my fingernails,

    the water, like a nun, punishing and cold and
    sneering, holier than I could ever be. I watch,
    wetly,
    how the pleasures clog up the pipes both
    metal and muscular;
    and choke and
    sputter
    and muddy up a perfectly
    good
    day.

    8.

    The Thing
    stays knotted.

    In the spaces between breaths,
    in the cavities that birth words
    in the hunger and thirst
    and lament in these guts
    and in the lack of them all.
    The Thing
    stays.
    choking,
    restricting,
    knotted.

                -Broken Thing

     

    Excerpted with permission from Softly We Fall by Megan Dhakshini published by Sarasvi Publishers, 2024.

    Megan Dhakshini is an advertising professional, poet, trilingual voiceover artist and amateur singer. Her second book of poetry “Softly We Fall”, was longlisted for the prestigious Gratiaen Prize in 2021.  Her first collection, “Poison Apple (2018) was published by Unsolicited Press USA. She feels most comfortable in her writer skin and on stage, performing poetry and music while exchanging exhilarating energy with audiences. 

    Graduating with a BA in Advertising from RMIT Melbourne, she worked at multinational ad agencies in Colombo, before setting up her own niche creative boutique with partner Dillai Joseph- “The Next Big Think”.

    She is a full-time mum and a part time dreamer, hoping to touch people with her words and verses. You can follow her creative pursuits @megan_dhakshinishatrughan

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