Carve Me Out

I am on your mantelpiece,
between your nails,
under your cellar door.

You have paused me
in time, held me down
forever. God and his angels
remember the dancing
orange dress.
When you look up
and see me, you see
my black hair
like fading mist,
tears spoiled and smudged.

In my hallucinations
you are young
and I am hungry.
We meet in the room
you took me
and I lap onto you.
I cover your eyes
with my fingers
like coins on corpses —
you are dead and moving.

Carve Me Out

You are coming to me
opening your mouth
to kiss,
all is forgotten
we are long lost lovers,
you expect me to forget
that you killed me
with the bruised hands
that hold my spine
in place
ready to crack.

You are the man I loved,
the man I hated.
You are the man who stopped
me and to you it was right.
You are the man
who said you’d break me
and didn’t
but tried.

Carve Me Out

You did not manage
to kill my soul
and that’s what haunts you.
My soul is under
the cellar door.

Lucifer, light your gas lamps
your son is coming home.

Carve him out.