1.
your mouth bleeds butterflies that flutter still
beating to the pavement
tripping that all knowing bystander who watches on stolen wings
with a smirk because
they saw you.
watched you toil over infertile ground making marks in the mud like a prayer
to the rain
calling for it to wash away all the progress you have made
but
the rain is searing
melting away what little you have left
until you’re a walking skeleton
burned away in sickness
smiling like an infection
the stink of your rotting soul drips
into my mind putrid and I gag on my forgiveness
on my sadness
on my sorry
on this
a warning

2.
your sandpaper neck screams listless
your mouth a drying grave
your tongue, parched and poised, will fail to say the words your throat
screams
won't be able to keep up with your neck’s geometry (angles never were your strong point were they?)
can't compete with the chairs silent story
dusk's light illuminating the black doves that fell out of your mouth and onto the plain page
a silent song of painted sorries
marching their way to your bedrock pillow
this
your last testament

3.
you threw too many pebbles into the water this time
too many ripples
your reflection shimmered out of focus and you reached to flatten it
to drink all the water in the lake
you've never been so parched
draining it
swallowing it whole, pebbles and all
you sink down into the bed you stole
--because lakes sleep too maybe even more than you--
dreaming of white round forevers whispering oblivion
this
a call

4.
wake up