aladdin dreams of occupying
the land between my thighs
of having me as his brown genie
bottle bellydancer bowing to
his every wish yes master
anything to please master
aladdin paints my arabian nights
black like the oil he bleeds from me
counts my eyelashes like jewels
habibi make me a magic carpet
I could bury your body in it
—
‘oriental’ was published in 2016 as part of the UEA Undergraduate Anthology, Undertow.