The Animal

A heat wave, blistering heat wave-
The hunt, I find prey, the prey finds me
The beast approaches, cools himself
In the shade of our forest, sheds his skin,
Reveals rough silk, slippery, sweaty
I run my hands along his fur,
Extends his claws, his tail rises,
Growls, shows his teeth, mocks me, invites me, tantalizes me
The animal
Unshackled
The scent is too much to resist
The war ensues

I win at first, lay him down
The feast
Taste him, watch him writhe
I am in control
Mindless hungering
The salty, the sweet, the fur, the skin
Flip him over, go again
Feeding time
One belly to fill another

He fights back
Takes me in hand
With just a nibble, owns me,
Gnawing on my bones,
Releases a demon,
They rekindle my drive,
I climb up, reclaim my throne
Tear inside, my soul seeping in,

The animal and I are one
Every sense erupts
Bodies squirming in the mud
He bucks, he kicks
His reins in hand, I am a parasite
I am alive.
When it comes to a halt,
And the moon burns read,
A howl rings out in the silence.

I roar, release the blood
Trickling down his chest, his fur, his legs, his back
Drowning him in deep scarlet
I fall beneath his body
Defeated, a standoff
The sweaty carcass pins me down
His breath is heavy, slow, his fur is plastered on both our bodies
His blood stains my face, my whole, I am red
I am bleeding in the arms of a weary God
No one else knows
What the animal and I know