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Ode to Masturbation Lyrics by Ocean Vuong

Night Sky with Exit Wounds

2016

because you
were never
holy
only beautiful
enough
to be found
with a hook
in your mouth
water shook
like sparks
when they pulled
you out
& sometimes
your hand
is all you have
to hold
yourself to this
world & it's
the sound not
the prayer
that enters
the thunder not
the lightning
that wakes you.
in the backseat
midnight's neon
parking lot
holy water
smeared
between
your thighs
where no man
ever drowned
from too much
thirst.
the cumshot
an art
-iculation
of chewed stars
so lift
the joy
-crusted thumb
& teach
the tongue
of unbridled
nourishment
to be lost in
an image
is to find within it
a door
so close
your eyes
& open
reach down
with every rib
humming
the desperation
of unstruck
piano keys
some call this
being human but
you already know
it's the briefest form
of forever yes
even the saints
remember this the if
under every
utterance
beneath
the breath brimmed
like cherry blossoms
foaming into no one's
springtime
how often these lines
resemble claw marks
of your brothers
being dragged
away from you
you whose name
not heard
by the ear
but the smallest
bones
in the graves you
who ignite the april air
with all your petals'
here here here you
who twist
through barbed
-wired light
despite knowing
how color beckons
decapitation
i reach down
looking for you
in american dirt
in towns with names
like hope
celebration
success & sweet
lips like little
saigon
laramie money
& sanford towns
whose trees know
the weight of history
can bend their branches
to breaking
lines whose roots burrow
through stones
& hard facts
gathering
the memory of rust
& iron
mandibles
& amethyst yes
touch yourself
like this
part the softest hurt's
unhealable
hunger
after all
the lord cut you
here
to remind us where
he came
from pin this antlered
heartbeat back
to earth
cry out
until the dark fluents
each faceless
beast banished
from the ark
as you scrape the salt
off the cock-clit
& call it
daylight
don't
be afraid
to be this
luminous
to be so bright so
empty
the bullets pass
right through you
thinking
they have found
the sky as you reach
down press
a hand
to this blood
-warm body
like a word
being nailed
to its meaning
& lives.
Credits
Ocean Vuong

Ocean Vuong

About “Ode to Masturbation” by Ocean Vuong

Read the complete lyrics to "Ode to Masturbation" by Ocean Vuong from the album "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" in 2016. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"Ode to Masturbation" is performed by Ocean Vuong. from the album "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" in 2016 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Ode to Masturbation", explore more songs by Ocean Vuong using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Ode to Masturbation" is credited to Ocean Vuong. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Ode to Masturbation" appears on "Night Sky with Exit Wounds" in 2016.

Visit the Ocean Vuong artist page at /artist/ocean-vuong for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.