the break-up

(written for Hades' "The Evolution of Darkness" competition)


You chained me to the earth but
the water kept rising. Hands in
the toaster but you kept walking
away through the dark tunnel of
my throat. I’d wait for you all
night, a candle lit on the tip
of my tongue. See this? I’ll
hold up a mirror and you can
see right through to the part
of me you ate away. You were
the only one who could speak
the language of my body, all
broken dolls and carousels
turning by themselves. All I could
do was stare at my different faces
spread on the table, wet veins
adhering to the surface like glue.
You’d grab my pony tails, tear me
straight down the middle. Once I
tried to shoot myself but all the
bats just started rushing out.
The stark bare trees that
sprouted from your teeth marks.
When we danced how the blood
would flow from my mouth. You
could tap me three times, my
body rising, rising. Floating
midair like the souls
of the dead.