by Luz Castaneda
dear chu chu
in this room tempered
towards the peal of two hearts,
I want you to hold a name
with tender & curious.
I want you to cede the most
of tonight weaving a glassful
of body musk, rich earth
tones bursting like a flavored
wonder—imagine heaven
with its chime and perfect rhythm
leaping forth in rapture.
say if I walked backwards,
my limbs heavy with care, into
the small of your ribs—a caged
bird ready with a bagful of
songs for the open-air market
of a burning desire—will I
be perfect for all the wonders
of your eyes? will I stay
the shadows keeping vigil in
the furrows of your skin—because
how best to validate one’s claim
to a body if not through its history?
dear chu chu, I am asking you
for the sun, glorious delinquent.
see how it holds its many lights
to the parchment of your skin.
beautiful now, evanescing
after we overflow into a promise
of heaven—wonder why we
inherit grudges in palateful
it binges the sun back to its
most intimate moment.
I am asking you for the ocean,
undulating dream & perfect
repose. in this room tempered
by two bodies bowed to
a gravity of want, boy am I asking
you for the night & its brilliant illusions.
Elias Udòchi Andrevn is a poet. He has poems forthcoming or already in Heroin Chic Mag, African Writers, Poetry Column-NND, Mojave Heart Review, Salmon Creek Journal and others. A 2018 Wawa Book Review Young Literary Critic Fellow, he resides in Benin City with Chu Chu and a shy puppy Ella. He is a member of The Deadliners, a collective of badass Nigerian creatives. Find him on Twitter as @Eliasandrevn.
Luz Castaneda was born in Brazil to Brazilian and Spanish parents. Since 2014, she has been living and working as an artist in NYC. She is a self-taught artist, a biologist, Ph.D. in Genetics, educator and researcher in the sacred language of nature. Her research and artwork are a combination of her artistic soul and scientific mind. Her art has been exhibited in multiple galleries in the United States and Brazil. www.luzcastaneda.com.