we were born
in holy water,
midnight scratches
running down our backs.
sizing up
to dodge each other;
dig your fingers in,
widen up those cracks.
some poisons come with a buzz,
and kissing you is everything
motown taught me kissing was.

we’ll make pretend
that no one’s coming—
take off that breastplate,
i know the ways you’re weak,
and you know mine,
in angry ratio.
i look ridiculous
trying to act complete.
the empty silence fills the tomb,
like you body filled my body, once,
like incense fills a room.

daggers rain
like drops of hail,
shut up those windows,
close the goddamn doors.
i liked your meanings
when i could know them,
but these old statues
won’t speak to me no more.
wide awake, wide awake,
your footsteps on the tile outside
just before the quake.