in my mind there are worlds where
roads overturn at the behest of my god.
there i run gentle
in spinal circles, the crux of emotion
falls upon me like lightning
dancing on her tiptoes
on the rims of my tongues.

i am a woman with madness a birthright;
my bidding returns from the celestials
ultrasonic. electricity cascades my flesh in
a cosmic flash of nerves yet all at once
i can become a girl
in his arms-
ripening still.

there the moon seeps herself onto me
and in her substance i silken my waist;
i become like wave, movement
of air,
my hair changes color and
i shed my skin like sea snake, siren
with legs. in her under-earth i stand barefeet,
moving the calcified air, dripping
cold salt from my fingertips,
bathing in her white light.

Perla Kantarjian is a Lebanese-Armenian writer, journalist, editor, and literature instructor from Beirut. Her writings have appeared on numerous platforms, both print and digital, including Rebelle Society, Rusted Radishes, The Armenian Weekly, Annahar Newspaper, Stripes, and Elephant Journal. She is currently working on her very first novel.