2 Poems

by Jilna Shah

The Clearing

Purple lipstick

smeared across my face

mixed with your cum
 

We found a clearing in the forest

Communion

We anointed ourselves;

You, with menstrual blood

And me with T-gel.

Anoint: ‘to smear with any liquid. To consecrate or make sacred in a ceremony that includes the token applying of oil.’

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about Jilna (she/her/hers)

Jilna’s poetry is a personal archive of healing. Her writing explores how everything that we experience in our lives is felt in the body. For her, poetry is a way of documenting experiences of aliveness. It is also a powerful way of transforming difficult emotions and experiences through crafting our own narratives.

Jilna is a community movement and meditation facilitator based in Lewisham. Fun fact: Jilna is a stellium in Aquarius (yes, four planets in one sign!).

Jilna’s quite old-skool and doesn’t use social media much, so e-mail her if you want to get in touch: jillyshah@gmail.com