I Have No Desire to Go to Another Andy Warhol Exhibition

Standing beside you

I do not want to plunge

my tongue into your throat:

a dagger and a rose.

And I do not

want to dig my nails

into your flesh:

a sword and a mattress.

And I do not want to dig

my teeth into your neck and

I have no desire to go to another Andy Warhol exhibition,

even though I say I do just to accompany you.

All I want is to press my impatient mouth unto yours

not because you mean anything

other than a soft mess

I manifest your sad penis

hidden inside your black jacket, and I realise

You are only beautiful by accident.

Cherries & Baileys

When I pick cherries

I pop them in my mouth

like pills. Their flesh, sweet and raw

bursts like a wound. Will I

choke on the stones or

will I keep my health,

my life, my ignoble interests?

When you pour Baileys in my

throat, I purr; I want to beg for more

but it hurts to ask, to even

make a request. Perhaps, I am

ashamed of my thirst and hunger

for your selfish flesh

rebellious yet clueless, like a schoolboy.

Oh, I know I love the sickly sweet taste

of your kisses: cherries, cream, and Baileys

but to know myself more is a risk

I can’t afford

________________

Dr Golnoosh Nour is the author of The Ministry of Guidance and Other Stories (2020) and Rocksong (2021) – both shortlisted for the Polari Prize. Golnoosh’s poetry pamphlet Impure Thoughts came out with Verve Poetry Press in 2022. She’s performed her work in literature festivals and events across the UK and internationally. Her work has also been published by Granta, Vintage, and Columbia Journal.