these are stale words 

that you crack between your

teeth and hand to me, 

words cracked like lips in 

wintertime and the shell of 

a trampled roach and 

these are stale words, i do not

want them ("i love you, don't go")

stale words, they are so familiar to 

me that i'd recognize them in the

clutter of a street or the cascade of

dream ("you are everything to me")

stale words, dead words, skin like 

ash and broken desire, heart stopped

and soul forgotten ("please, i'll do

anything")

stale words, you crack them between 

your teeth like walnuts and hold them

out to me --

stale words, i take them into my palms

and hold them close to my chest --

stale words, white in my hands like darkness,

stale words that i cannot help but raise

to my mouth and force my throat to accept 

("i promise")