toothless girl misses august
by Latifa Sekarini

august is toothless like me
nibbling on persimmons
forgetting one birthday after another
existing delicately within its boundaries
august cradles the possibility of injury 
a ruptured spleen or tendon 
one lover leaving after another

august is a winged creature, 
humming its favorite song,
once sang by its ancestors
humming, humming, humming,
a song packed with thunderstorms,
august goes off into tangents when tired

august tastes like something violent
double-edged blades forged in the name of betrayal
august is a wound
stopping to heal 
only to fester
it feels too much like summer
and too little like autumn

august is out of my reach,
but i love it all the same
i once held august in my hands
and just for once,
i will hold it again.