Karen Baumgart




ever-so-gently / in that chaste way of forehead kisses,
which I tease him about, mercilessly / even though
it is a truth universally acknowledged / that the wild beast
in me / wants fingers as soft as smoke, sometimes.

academically / in a bookish way / grasping my pages / until
they fall open at the spine / fingering the gilt edges, so they sing
like the rim of a champagne flute / reading aloud, secrets
and stories spilling from me / in a gush of pearl-tipped waves.

mechanically / in an engineering-and-maintenance way / so helpful,
because witchy life be lifeing / and who even has the time
to worry about charging every wand / she might impulsively desire
in a lustful moment? / p.s. my favourite is the pink one.

roughly / in a fuck-me-into-the-mattress way / holding me down
(yes – like that – more – harder) / him: thirsty for my slippery potion,
me: melting and puddling and pooling / so wet / a conflagration,
the hot tongue of curling flames / loud enough / to swallow my cries.





Karen Baumgart lives in Australia and adores beautiful quotes, pink things, cats, and chai tea. She loves working in human services policy, especially when it enables marginalised people to have a voice. Karen used to be an English teacher, and is quite certain that writing is, indeed, the best therapy. She can be found on Instagram @miss.cake.girl and Twitter @cake_girl__, and Bluesky @cake-girl.bsky.social