i touched his hipbone and said
it was like the haft of a dagger
this dagger could cut out my heart
to feed to a queen
i am just an animal
an imposter
taking the place of a princess
with the shape of my flesh
i told him his bones were beautiful
the line of the clavicle
i said to him my mother would be proud
that i was with a man with such
beautiful feet
he said his grandmother told him
his feet were the most
beautiful thing on him
later i told him
how my brother died
his grandmother also
took her life
i wanted to kiss his feet before we parted
but i was too shy
and did not know
if it would disgust him
he sat on the floor
in the dark room
with one lamp creating
light and shadow
over the shape of his face
the bones of his cheek, his jaw
and i watched him speak
listening with my eyes
upon him
and i thought
i will remember this sight
forever
