Nkwagala

Poetry by Morgan Govier

Art by Maggie Lu

I’ve been dreaming about
Africa and summer,
and clothes that stick to my skin.
You and me, 
we still feel like a fever dream.
I fall asleep in my cold sheets
and wake up in night sweats
beside you, 
with your arm loose
around my waist. 
There’s something about the birds
and the midnight sermons
that was so comforting
to fall asleep to:
the way the Nile smells at night
and the dust that fills my lungs. 
I think I left myself there,
in the red dirt and jackfruit trees.
Maybe you’ll find me one day,
maybe you’ll wake up
and the air won’t sting
and you’ll repave your broken skin
with all the parts I left behind.