IMG_4824

White marble atop the hill

Manahil Bandukwala

Strip the skin off my body and hold
me tight. Take this ugly brown shell, burn
scar, thrown to sea. Let waves batter
me against rocks, shark teeth ravage carcass,
oil spill on pale water.

Strip the skin off my body and hold
me tight. Take this ugly brown shell, burn
scar, thrown to sea. Let waves batter
me against rocks, shark teeth ravage carcass,
oil spill on pale water.

Paint my flesh white, liquid seeping into veins.
Let me walk through these ornate doors, drip
my whiteness on marble floor. Let no one forget,
I am now white.

Manahil Bandukwala is a poet and artist born and raised in Pakistan and currently making a home in Ottawa. Her work has appeared in or is forthcoming with the Puritan, Ricepaper, Bywords, and Coven Editions. She is an editor for In/Words and recently published her first chapbook, Pipe Rose.

Tags: Changing Language | Manahil Bandukwala | White marble atop the hill

Pre-order Our Next Issue

ROOM 47.4 FULL CIRCLE
Step back with Room into the past, to parents, to childhood homes, and to people once known and loved; dig into themes of grief and healing; and ultimately explore what it means to come full circle in literature.

Currently on Newsstands

ROOM 47.3 BODIES
Join Room in a deep dive on the body: touch and isolation, trans and queer embodiment, fat liberation, chronic illness and disability, brutality, sensuality, and other meditations on the bones and muscles you inhabit every day.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Be the first to know about our contests, calls for submissions, and upcoming events.

* indicates required

Join us on Patreon

Become a RoomMate

Seeking members who love literature, events, merchandise, and supporting marginalized creators.


Visit our Store

Share This