There are parts in me without place

Abstract

There are parts in me without place Arisa White (bio) There are parts in me without place,accessories for womanhood hang on the doorknob. She slips from a layer of defenses, freshly showered, lickswater from her wrists, wants to know, Do you love me, do you? I have learned to keep my erections from getting in the wayof his—but it's odd to be idle on the body's welcome mats. I hold my breath to put kisses where speech happens,stroke her arms as if they will lead to someplace new. I run my tongue along the circumference of another day,because in the end, the black body is never believed. To my regret, I'm fixed to her want suckling.I sepal and stem and river and do best what I know to do. Our propensity for traumas and trips makes me electric,wet and wasted, capable of standing for so little. And when the math of her is gone from my sheets,and I feel a crow and spike in my mouth— It is now I understand the lure I amand why I never take the hook out. [End Page 318] Arisa White Arisa White is an assistant professor of English and creative writing at Colby College. She is the author of Who's Your Daddy, coeditor of Home Is Where You Queer Your Heart, and coauthor of Biddy Mason Speaks Up, the second book in the Fighting for Justice Series for young readers. As the creator of the Beautiful Things Project, Arisa curates poetic collaborations that center queer BIPOC narratives. She is a Cave Canem fellow and serves on the board of directors for Foglifter and Nomadic Press. To learn more about her other publications and projects, visit arisawhite.com. She can be reached at arisawhite@gmail.com. Copyright © 2022 Arisa White