I am the goddess in this temple
I am the goddess in this temple
you come to this isolated
corner to worship
my ethereal body
my skin is a mixture
of gold and copper
my lips are as sweet
as morning lotus
I might have heard your prayer—
those verses flow
like river out of your monklike
mouth
I am the fish that swims
beneath your pious
tongue
Ismim Putera (he/him) is a poet and writer from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. He is the author of a poetry chapbook Tide of Time (Mug and Paper Publishing, 2021), and recently won third place in 7th Singapore Poetry Contest. His latest work can be found in Anak Sastra, Prismatica Magazine and Be Me: LGBTQ+ Stories of Belongings.