sometime late January
you spent the night with a woman
watching the moon grow.
                  come take me in my own abattoir
I unrolled my tongue
ready for our first kiss
and out spilled
someone else’s lung.
how did these things get here?

I had created a dalliant
stockyard in my bed
to occupy us.
                  I’m red-hot and full of other people
You were outside in a corduroy jacket
counting her freckles
as I was slicing the outside of
someone’s arm
to crawl inside for warmth.
wait for us to duel it out
in the morning.
I was biting the inside of my cheek
to taste victory
and she was on top of you,
crowning.

I had been waiting to show you
self immolation.
You had been waiting with kerosene
and some promises to hold
my pretty ashes
hostage.

“fidelity”