your hot curry breath’s got me in such a tither, ready to inhale and gulp you up—my new oxygen let us tiptoe through our floral saffron lawn float in our pool of chicken vindaloo on garlic naan floaties and even when this crimson spice bath begins to rub us wrong, i’ll peel your flaky rice-grain skin dig in so deep we become embedded in each other and we’ll construct our home with a paneer veneer cover our couches with crisp samosa cushions and sure our roof leaks yogurt sauce from time to time but it’s all so scrumptious, what can you do besides shrug and take another bite who would we hire anyway, a handyman or a chef —so, the ceiling drips and i watch you bathe in this steamy tub of kelp-colored chutney your tangled cilantro locks topped with this ornate crown of fresh mint with leaves weaved with such finesse i can no longer resist tearing your flesh fresh off the bone should’ve known that tandoor sauna would be our undoing ‘twas but a matter of time before one of us devoured the other and soon every surface will be stained with our turmeric cravings you chai latte squirter you when i go down to motorboat it sounds like basmati biryani we both hear it, can’t help it oh the splatters they’ll see will the authorities know i just couldn’t help myself, will they ever comprehend a hunger such as this—?
Abbie Doll is a writer residing in Columbus, OH, with an MFA from Lindenwood University. She is a fiction editor at Identity Theory. Her work has been featured or is forthcoming in Door Is a Jar Magazine, The Bitchin’ Kitsch, and Ellipsis Zine, among others. Connect on socials @AbbieDollWrites.
Featured Artwork:
Take Your Honey
Kristin LaFollette is a writer, artist, and photographer. She is the author of Hematology (winner of the 2021 Harbor Editions Laureate Prize) and Body Parts (winner of the 2017 GFT Press Chapbook Prize). She received her Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University and is a professor at the University of Southern Indiana. Learn more about her work at kristinlafollette.com.