I’m still waiting

we’re both angry and gorgeous
you said
carpet burnt our old skins so
don’t tell me that you’re broken
even though you know words are empty shells
you put things in them
I wanted you so much
I started making things up
give you all the words ever invented
throw them
soft pillows for landing
a place to rest the bones
to stretch the soul and say
change now
or die trying.

Noemi Gunea is a Romanian writer and performance artist based in London. She makes up half of performance duo Cheap Thrills and has shown her work at the British Museum, Royal Academy of Arts, Tate Exchange and South London Gallery.