thirsty

Why am I to shame when you were doing the same?

There she is!

Sitting on a brim

Sticky and sweet like

My voice telling her she

Doesn’t know how to swim.

But she dips her toes in.

Murky yellow lights cut

Through the cotton darkness

The heels of her palms

Sorry sanctuary from the whispers

…

So she cranes her neck

Lets the sounds swirl on her tastebuds

Cold tile underneath their

Fingers, get a grip

Before you spill your secrets and

Stain the grout

Drums beat loud

In her head

Made from lead

They don’t like what’s been said

Her tongue is stuck to her teeth

Throat shriveling underneath

Never do what to me?

Now the voices in her head are far

Too loud

Take a sip, sip, sip

Try and drown them out

This new friend’s setting’s a desert

Not a sorbent spot left throughout

Because he’s sneaking all the water to her

Rocking back and forth with her—

Stop it!

Oh man, she’s losing it now

Chatterboxes,

Gather round

Bleary-eyes

Cracked lips

She’s parched

Though she took a sip

Want that wedge of lime?

That’s a diplomatic fruit right there.

Once the acid stops singing

Pass it down,

So your ears will keep ringing

It wasn’t in spite of him,

Ironic in light of him…

We voices aren’t kind

We’ll leave you with it

Churning in your stomach

But we’re not twisted

Amid the static

We’ll sell it while you

Stumble through the grass

Crack that edge of glass

Now she’s in a swan dive

At least we can say we tried.

What was it you said you’d never do to me?

Honorary.