by Patrick Fiorilli

Artwork, “Kat” by Hailey Brown

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i’ve never tasted

someone else’s

blood before,

but, christ,

the way you write

reminds me of

the time I choked

on pennies as a child.

and i mean that

as a compliment.

 

i’m left to think

how best to imitate

your sanguine graces –

the ways you’ve found

to dredge up beauty

out of depths

all too human.

 

ah, but how

that mission’s

clouded by the urge

to cut my tongue

across those whetted

teeth of yours

and slice it open.

 

and being thus bereft

of eloquence,

i’ll bleed and bark

and splatter truths

the likes of which

i’ve never written.

 

and then i’ll mop

up all the blood,

and gather all the pages,

and read each one

before I throw them

all away.

 

you deserve better thoughts than mine.

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