Cooking with Turmeric

chloe n. clark

We do not mean to stain 

our skin, only later

notice the golden hues 

to our fingertips, palms

as we rinse our hands 

under ice water, and you 

lean into me, say we’re

glowing

In years, I will have

forgotten

even the precise way you

spoke—each word always

perfectly enunciated, but

I will remember 

this moment, how

the kitchen lights glint

off our skin and the lines

of our palms stand out

so distinctly

The stains

wash away eventually,

but for awhile, our hands

hold

such clear fortunes

Chloe N. Clark's work appears in Apex, Glass, Hobart, Uncanny, and more. Her chapbook The Science of Unvanishing Objects is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press. She can be found on Twitter @PintsNCupcakes or at chloenclark.com