I have a talent:
I swallow swords,
but only the swords that have first
pierced through my gut
and up my throat.
I pull those swords out of me
and open my mouth wide,
forcing the sword down my esophagus,
ignoring my gag reflex
and then I let the sword slither down my throat
until I've swallowed it whole.
Backstabbers have a lovely way
of ripping me apart from
the inside out,
twisting their swords in and out of me
as they do.
If you look at my body,
you'll see various scars
from where the swords were.
There's no use letting myself bleed,
so instead, each and every time, I swallow.
When I swallow it fully,
let my stomach acid erode at the metal
until the sword dissolves inside of me
and pretend it doesn't erode away at me too,
pretend it doesn't sear at my wounds like rubbing alcohol
but it does.
I can only stitch myself up so many times
before I bust open permanently
and what will I do then?
I know I can't swallow forever,
but for now, I'll perform the act.