Illustration by Rawan Hayat
Ablution (טבילה)
What does this say about us:
that last night I dreamt of lakes that moved like rivers
and endless watered beds of dark smooth rocks
and you interviewing me about thirst and psychology
in the shower
with a notepad in your hand?
What does it mean for us:
that I am mad at your name today
because some iteration of you had the
gall to tell me hypothetically in the night
“i don’t think i can come to the city next month” ?
In the morning:
I sit in the bathroom,
looking at my feet on the tiles
achy, annoyed,
more afraid than before because
in sleep I learned what it feels like
for you to stand on them
and speak to me under hot water.
In the evening:
I’ve remembered
how short five weeks is.
Five weeks ago
is when I was last in your city, you know.
Five weeks ago I stood on the roof
of a building filled with young
women and pipes and
looked out at the white blocks of light and grime,
listened as you spoke to me about
boundaries and tractates and immersions
until I felt soaked through to my spine
And now:
Five weeks until I see you
Thirty-five sunrises,
thirty-five sleeps,
seventy prayers--
each one testing me
to dry myself off.
Étalée
Each night when I
lay to sleep my body
unfurls on the bed like your
wrist pushing into dough, as if
your hand larger than life were spreading
me like a fresh sheet outstretching my corners
and creases so I become like the white paper wrapped
around the hot bread you buy for dinner, crinkling as
you open it fold by fold for its bare surface to look
up at the ceiling and, later in the night, to stay
exposed while you eat and while you sleep
remaining there just in case it could get
to feel your hand coming back to
smooth it out on the counter
for breakfast once more
Sophie Levy is a senior at Barnard majoring in Art History / Visual Arts and Jewish Studies. She is the founder of Zaman Collective, an online platform dedicated to Middle-Eastern Jewish arts and writing, and is Literary and Arts Editor at the Current, Columbia’s journal of Jewish culture and affairs. She loves pumpernickel bagels, Iranian disco music, and her dog. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, and her personal website.