Here, in the Shade

He runs a finger across her waxy, frigid smile.

Cold, yes, and just as biting.

Didn’t they ever warn you

child who plays in the woods? There are

bad things in there

things that will chase you eat you kill you

little girls little whores who don’t listen to their mothers

you think I don’t know

never knew what it felt to be a mother the

warm, soft dependency. Another being hopelessly

attached to you

wrapped in you bonded to you sacred and whole like

God’s love. Waiting for you

every morning before the dawn I’d 

wait for you here, in the shade

On us the rain bleeds, we’d huddle in the dingy dark

sink into the rotting leaves. Make ourselves invisible

Like spires beneath the earth, pushing up and up

teeth from beneath from hell biting

breaking the skin of heaven, drawing thick swells of air

we’d be gasping by the end of it

drenched in sweat like dogs like

God’s love. Waiting for you

every summer before the moon I’d

wait for you here, in the shade

Nothing cleans now nothing breaks this dingy dark 

I am cold, yes, and just as biting

as she was when we first met those 

eyes that loved me feared me hungered me

are pools of glass now frozen

skin that warmed me

burned & fed me cannot tremble at my touch

see? I can kiss you give you now my love

God’s love. little whores who don’t

listen to their fathers you think I didn’t know

don’t know what it felt like to be wasted

wanted. Hunted like an animal loved like a 

spire, I sink my teeth into your thigh 

you don’t move or scream just lay there

with a cold, soft dependency. Hopelessly

attached to me

wrapped in me bonded to me sacred and whole. Like

God’s love.