Skin

1

Connections snap

and rebind.

We

find each other's eyes

in brief sips,

reminisce on tiny moments from our

late adolescence.

Café hums…

college kids typing on laptops,

waiters in white jackets clacking

porcelain plates,

mother's carry their babies

and one reaches for a

strand of my hair,

you laugh,

your eyes

distracted and I see

you

twice

alive.

Day old relationship demolished

by the end of our amorous conversations,

we stood up and you told me

you were leaving for the summer.

This won't work,

sorry.

2

Monday morning flesh sheds and

resets beneath freshly shredded soles

that i continue to pick and peel,

(comfort in never healing).

Nerves endings pricked, blood trickles up

bare layers of unhardened skin.

Calloused palms peeling never mending,

viral exanthem raising

legions of charcoal blotches

plotting paths of red bumps,

lumps of excessive cellular plight

claiming susceptible topography,

blooming tan shades of flaky,

dry ash.

Naps course visions of you,

bleached linen sheath echoing each

second I felt love for once,

creases breeze sixty degree gusts,

petrified over how i’ll get through work tomorrow…

Tuesday afternoon burning cruel dreams,

steps sting walking miles past

Alexandria streets rife with searing traffic;

crosswalk lights never changing.

I watch blue metro buses pass sluggishly,

Ford explorers turn awkwardly,

sedans rush fastest.

Black dogs awake from withered rest,

they imagine taking one step toward the surging intersect;

wish metal to tarnish my sparring flesh,

thinking my bones could finally settle

for a second:

but i wait.

3

Pantheon of primeval stone stares victorious,

I birthed pillars to remember you,

and lurked the corners of death–

i left myself wicked for far too long…

Layers rebirthed,

faithful pigment disintegrating

in cloudy rose epsom salt;

undulating bath water swallowing

marionette corpse.

We choose paths that seduce quickest;

learn the hard way because some days

sickness feels like purpose;

routines shut our eyes to the

control we have over life; we

forget about our skin and

leave it to bear our ineptitude.

For three months I chose to

remain restless;

ligaments dense, lungs glued,

explosive exhalations sever alveoli;

charred forearms clinging to

remanents of my past self,

afraid that if I asked for help

my protection might abandon me:

That perfection was the only choice.

When we met I saw you sitting

on a bench conversing with a homeless man.

His belongings in clear trash bags,

speech fading, calm but slowly losing his final

impressions of humanity.

You spoke to him with great care

not afraid,

but kind …more human

than human…

At that intersect by F— B—

we waited for lights to change,

you went left, I went forward.

thinking of telling you how I feel

at the first step across that intersection.

I didn't look back at you,

though I wish i did,

to see the woman who tore me

away from a D. istant C. ity

made hell,

brought me a sentiment i

thought I'd lost:

love.

i’m glad i met you Chr—

I don’t want to set the world on fire…

I just want to set a flame in your heart.