The heart is limited in its pursuit,
valves opened and closed like doors
leading nowhere. What being
designs its own destruction, falls
short of longings it feeds the earth
like a reluctant mother, baring
nipple to teeth. Desire is a brute,
an eye open to a dream
far beyond the reach of tongues
and fingertips, where the inflated sea
is only a wish made familiar
by the sound of water
pouring into a small glass.
Toju Lusan is a Nigerian writer and photographer whose work primarily explores intimacy, connection, and faith.