#fleshsubsumed

          she’s acid and he swallows. she’s acid and he burns   ––   like a shot of whiskey, like a gunshot.   (   like a fever and his mom’s hand flattening down his sweat-soaked hair.   ) archaic - rotten lips, her sharp god - whipped hieroglyphs; he cleans his ears, he kneels, he listens, and he bleeds. HE SWALLOWS, and chokes on her, wondering how could he still be this naive? her tongue is a blade and it’s bright as it strikes his skin and he falls, he falls, he falls. she loves him so much she slices his skin open with every syllable and nestles her way into his flesh.   (   he wonders when the lines began to blur   ––   when he became her, and her, him.   )   the cattle - brand of her teeth on his shoulder; it aches! her tender hurt, her rancor nails on his hip. 

         she cradles him like a cage.