The Paris Review

Sylvie Baumgartel

SONG OF SONGS

I walked in the door, took off my coat, took off my sunglasses, set them down with my keys, took off my shoes and socks, my jeans, my shirt, my bra and underwear, set them all on the chair by the door, walked into the house naked, went to the fridge, got my cucumber, went to the bathroom, lay on the floor by the warm heater, kissed the floor, said your name, said it again, looked up at you, slipped the cucumber inside and went all the way up deep, said your name, cucumber in and out all the way, all the up in, all the way out, my cunt lips sliding on the cucumber, you, you, you, then you were pissing on my face, which made me so excited I came came came. Then I was hungry. I ate naked in my kitchen. I looked at the clouds. I did some yoga. I took a shower. I combed my cunt hair. I roasted red peppers. I peeled and made cucumber salad with the cucumber since that was its last go of it. Was I curled at your feet while you watched the news?

Sometimes I like to feel sexy. Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I like to be very plain. Invisible almost, hiding in plain sight. I want to hide and to be found. I wonder if people look at me and think that I survive just fine. Maybe I do, here I am. Sometimes I feel so excited to feel sexy. It makes me very sad and shy and exhilarated all at the same time. I love my tits. I like to look at them, to touch them, feel

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