Cornered Tight Poem by Felix Bongjoh

(Love ignited by fear)

(i)

Scroll me up
into a speck of me,
as I slip off
into a brittle flying
half-dry leaf,

breaking into specks
on a half-
stretched spine?

Twist me into myself?

Roll up myself
into a giant millipede
large like a snake,

its spear-hurling eyes
piercing with no needle
but telling me
with sun-lit twinkles
"I carry no venom"?

Roll up myself
into a tightened steel nut
covered
with a thick coat of dust?

(ii)

Let me shoot a nettle-free
gaze clear of a hairy maze,
catching no animal
with fins in a baited hook,

but sweeping through air
and blowing into a wind.

Let me flatten myself
into quiet breeze
pasting warm sunny palms
to stroke and sweep me

with the foamy light touches
of an infant soft as floating suds.

(iii)

Glaze me wet
with the glistening
sprinkles
of a baby's only slobber
and dripping drool

to wrap my palms
with wooly threads
of silvery love
from streaming eyes,

as a baby whimpers
with hooking
tightened fists
bouncing against my chest
like small balloons.

That only explode
into spiraling moth dust
steering the wheels

of a glued touch
into a brushy,
drifting smooth rub
and a whimper's lilting song.