Sensation

| Nicole Chen

glistening sweat

effusing from the open pores:

fragrant, aromatic, orange

I lift my fingers to my lips,

tasting the bitter hues

a hot day in march–

scalding on the skin

the summer sun has paid a visit

soap suds and blackened water

cloud my reflection

escaping from the heat

I bathe in my sheets:

a mound of cream colored cotton–

the soft flow of fabric

an affectionate hand

in the shade of the lemon tree,

I slump to the ground

a new draft takes foot:

flipping the pages

wafting the citrus

stirring the bees

I yearn for sensation– whatever kind it may be

sensation, from beyond this land