"Roses In My Lungs"

A witch came into my life,

She opened her mouth and cast a spell--

“Hello”

You were not meant to be like this,

Biting straight through bone with too-sharp teeth,

All gunsmoked eyes and bullets behind your tongue

With diamond skin and a molten gold core

Born and forged by war,

where is that garden now?

I am a poet,

Descriptor extraordinaire--

Letters are my paintbrush

The world my canvas.

Bold and gleaming words brush against the page,

Yet they always pale whenever I say

how much you mean to me.

Say you love me.

Take the blood from your teeth

And eat your heart out.

Say you need me.

Stars take home in your eyes,

More god than man

woman.

Ruby lips and torn legs

Words to bond,

A gift of song.

Crow feathers dance in your hair.

A viper tongue,

My head goes numb.

Universes flicker and collide.

An orange delight,

A dragon’s keep.

A prayer pulses at my wrist,

please please please

“Oh” I breathe “oh”

“Please don’t let me lose this one”

Praying was never my specialty

I am greedy I am needy;

An emptiness inside and a demon dwells.

This poem was supposed to be about you,

and not quite this hellish,

but I’ve always been too selfish.

Say “I love you”

Say alabaster say periwinkle

Say forgotten Say fallen

Say a sign

Say goodbye

Rain will be our applause.

We’ll devour moons and slip between their teeth like howls.

Our common need to make believe--

Names are just empty spells.

A prayer pulses at my wrist,

please please please

say that this isn’t over--

say that it’s only begun

I’ll fill the sea with apologies until they build a home.

A degree of decorum

wasted on my starved soul.

I’m sorry for being clumsy

I’m sorry for my monstrous appetite

I’m sorry for my naked claws and bloody fangs

I’m sorry for my desperation

I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry

Say you forgive me

I’m sorry, I shouldn’t defend

It’s just--

You’re my greatest friend.

Tell me what my bones yearn!

You planted roses in my lungs--

What more must I say?

You won