babylon and other modern bhakti poems
i am a jackal staring down at a mirrorball pool. my lover,
brown turned blue on the dance-club floor, stares back.
put the tabla on the backbeat. பட்டு, you kiss me while
gaga crows serve it to me ancient-city style. it’s just us
in here tonight. your sides hot under my fingers — let
lips do what hands do; let me use them in reverence,
& मेरा दिल, you turn disco-ball sparkles to sleek black
starlings, language more than eyes’ evidence. i love
the parts of you that are like me. i don’t need anyone
to understand my words in your mouth. i want you
to play me a dance-pop hymn from the streets of
srinagar to chennai. sing my devotion to the rain.
Beeper Peddle is a writer and healer living on the East Coast. She lives with her partner and their beloved soul puppy. Beeper writes about sorrows, lies, and deep loves. When you read her work, you will dip down into her heart and end up in all manner of body parts. Should you find yourself reflected in these words, it is merely coincidence; however, it does not surprise her you share the same heart. Find her at bethpeddle.com and @beeperpeddle on Twitter and Instagram
Arya Vishin (he/him) is a mixed Kashmiri-American & Jewish writer. He’s into 2000s pop girls and medieval Hindu poetry. He is currently studying English & South Asian Studies @ UC Berkeley. Find him on Twitter @thewodensfang
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