Do you know the pain that lurks inside?

The ache that lies in wait
Once you pull away the curtain?

It’s an old thing, a wretched thing
Stewed inside her body too long,
And steeped within her bones.
It’s soul-deep, part of her now—
Or didn’t you know?

It is not a regular ache, it is not a normal pain;
It’s far surpassed that by now.
For what else would you call the roiling brew that churns beneath her skin if not extraordinary?

Some would call it terrifying,
Others would exclaim, “Disgusting!”
And surely it is a disturbed sight.

But I would only smile in fondness and recognition
Before retrieving my syringe and injecting some of that glorious, internalized sea—
Why, straight into me.

For what could be more stunningly gorgeous and inviting
Than a saturated cocktail of emotion?