Eli Thakore (they/them), (Dublin, b. 2004)

Captive

2019

Video

Poetry

We
Wait
For
The 
Perfect
Time
Missing 
It 
Entirely

- Fear                           

I Hate the Way You... 

I hate the way you see yourself
I hate the way you look at yourself
I hate how I see the hope die in your eyes
When the scale isn’t low enough
When you’ve had three meals
And extra snacks
Just barely enough 
She thinks the weight is where she lacks

I hate the way you smile even though you’re not happy
I hate how I believe it 
because I know you’re trying
Trying so hard
Harder than you ever have
Just wishing
Waiting
To Give up

I hate the way you cover your scars
As if they are not the battle marks you bare
The war scars you gained
You are not a victim
But only the greatest of Veterans

I hate how you hide your body
Showing you were ashamed
Maybe not Shame but Fear
I hate the way old men stare 
At those beautiful curves
I hate how they make you into a thing

My perception of you is clear
And I hate how you perceive yourself
You are not less than
You are not too much
You are not a burden 
And certainly not a scruff

I loved you since your first bawl
Seeing those beautiful tears cascade down your
 beautiful face
You are not Alone
Why?
Because I am yours
And You
You Are Mine

To the Love of My Life...

There is this Japanese legend
About how your face is of
Your greatest love
From your past life
My face belongs to you

You are me
And I am
You

We left birthmarks upon each other 
Of our favourite spots
And one big one
That will connect
With mine

Our noses so different 
Yet both exquisite 
One a button
And the other
Well
It is cuter

You love me the way
 You loved yourself
And I Loved you the way
I loved myself
With passion and guilt

Guilt from our current life
And not from our past
Because we are past lovers 
but now just friends

Typical Love

It was a normal reaction
I see you in after christmas 
Your shirt ironed 
With your jawline in a grin
You looked up at me 
To catch me staring 
You approached with a head held high 
This is not your normal love story

You said you liked my jumper
 My palms were sweating 
My fingers tapping against my legs
I laughed with too much volume
Breathing heavily realising my mistake 
I fled the scene of my crime 
You caught my hand 
but I pulled away 
Again, this is not your normal love story 

You started to text to me day and dawn
I replied to you with hidden smirks upon my face 
You suggested a movie
I just suggested a simple day
 I took a deep breath
Again, This is not your normal love story  

We saw each other more and more
That the lines of your face became ingrained in my sketchbook 
You laughed at my attempts
I just smirked it away
You reach for my hand for the second time 
Again, This is not your normal love story  

Many months pass 
And your face is the one in which I see in my dreams
We are walking home 
The sky is sparkling with far off suns 
Fingers intertwined and locked in place 
 How could I have been so blind 
The mark left on your face didn't go away for weeks
Those dreams now only nightmares 
Those smirks only tears
Our hands now tarnished 
As I said this is not your typical love story.

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