Aylli Cortez

Peril in cavernous love. A girl squeezing
her knuckles around the battery clips. Too afraid
to cry, part of the attraction is to let tourists think
they’re in control. The boatman says to come
sit at the front and tilt the flashlight. Take your family
on a trip to stare into all five miles of me. Each
shadow is a thousand years old. The water
has been green forever. It’s dangerous to go
any deeper, but instead of the sun at the end,
there’s a sea. Instead of departure, there’s only more
entry. You’re already here. That means you consent
to darkness. Fruit bats are flying past your face. Everyone
wants to look at you. In the hotel bed, agitation
shows in her grinding teeth. Doesn’t she know
those are hers until adulthood? Dip a finger into the mouth
to make it stop. Cover her face. Let the evening fill
the girl’s dreams with caves. This one catches me
in a yawn just after waking, except I’m asleep too. As usual,
we’re both having nightmares. I only dream of hands.

Aylli Cortez (he/they) is a transmasc Filipino poet and creative writing graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, where he received a DALISAYAN Award in the Arts for Poetry. His work has appeared in HEIGHTS, VERDANT Journal, en*gendered lit, and is forthcoming in hex literary. He is based in Metro Manila, Philippines. Find him on Twitter and Instagram @1159cowboy or at ayllicortez.wordpress.com.