Exorcist by Jide Badmus

I.
They say lust is evil
& it wears you like a garment.
You are wick dipped in lube,
incense, ready to burn.
I come, ready as dry powder—
extinguisher,
firefighter…
I come as a stream, ablution
to scour soot off your skin.

Let me break the kola of your lips
& pour libations of fine wine.
Our bodies will writhe to the rhythm of fire
& wordless incantations
till we break into a sea of salt & blood,
washed as seashells to shores of ecstasy!

II.
There is a song at the tip of my tongue,
moist prophecies, healing for dry wells.
I have a mouthful of prayer, eager to
pour & pave the way to your sultry shrine.

You are spirit, trapped—I am saviour—
I’ll rescue you with my lips, open exits on your body.
I will evoke burning lyrics from your throat,
make your demons flee in moanful verses,
& a sea of spasms…

III.
I kneel before your altar,
holding on to the rosary
wrapped around your waist—
I pray, a possessed priest,
for purgation,
sanctification…

There’s a war in my loins,
an impending storm, threatening…
I hold on to you like crucifix,
messiah,
sensual anchor—
I run into you,
cathedral,
asylum…

save me from myself!

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Jide Badmus is an electrical engineer, a poet inspired by beauty and destruction; he believes that things in ruins were once beautiful.
Badmus explores themes around sensuality and healing. He writes from Lagos, Nigeria. You can reach him on twitter @bardmus, IG @instajhide