They had chopped us
Limb by limb they had hung us on the entrance of the marketplace
Flowing in the air was the scent of water
We were sautéed entwined with spring
Flowing in the air was the wind
Wind, blew in in our veins, blew out of the hole of our eyes
You walked in
Piece by piece you arranged legs and hands beside lips and eyes
You bent your face over the face’s cheeks which used to be cheeks
Blessed the cheeks with a kiss of cherry blossom
Pain?
There was no pain
There wasn’t a hint of whimper in a throat cut along the hands and legs the tits the tongues
You came closer
Wind stopped
The market place fell silent
I, who had yet to have knees on my legs, walked
on my earlobes, watched
with my fingertips
Pain?
There was no pain
Pain happened, you know, when I blossomed with your touch
When my blossoms shimmered so red that you blinked,
And looked away
.
Saghi Ghahraman
Gildwood Village 1993