Pour in a vial of passion,

The kind that sets hearts fluttering,

And leaves desires igniting

Afterward, add a ring of rose petals,

Their scent so sickly sweet,

Satin to the touch,

Like lust flushed skin

Next, mix in a bit of contempt,

Surely, you’ll need that, too

No couple always gets along

For good measure, pour in a sip of coffee,

Bitter and burning on the tongue

And finally, filter in a fraction of your soul,

Filled with liquid moondust,

And all sorts of strange, sometimes ugly things

There you have it, a truly mystical concoction,

Brewed with the purest of love

And illest of intentions

Lying Mirrors

I feel the darkness

creep behind me,

rattling chains

no footprints

but closing gates.

Prisoner trapped

in own soul,

skin shriveled

in ruined shrouds

blood seeping

Trembling hands

reaching out

in muted cries

cancerous moans

of dread.

Falling into

empty space,

broken and misplaced,

invisible figures blowing

frozen in wind of past.

Devil’s spawn dancing,

icy fingers grasping,

screaming minds

of ebony asylums

no release

Lying mirrors

reflecting graves

with two bodies

and maybe more

encased in ice.

Crawling toward

light, alone,

baleful howls

invisible wolves

infusing mind

Hate radiating

in the distance.

deceiving shadows

escaping to place

where death begins.

I never thought about going to college since Grandma didn’t see no reason for learning anyway and I wanted to make money and get out on my own, so I ignored my English teacher, Ms. Ryan, who encouraged me a lot my last year in high school but even so, I suspect she’s probably why I can write this here confession: Yes, I killed Loretta Trubeck, but it wasn’t my fault.

You say my name, and I forget the question. And for a second, maybe an eternity, my mind is wrapped around your tongue. My mind is a mole-hill mountain. I’m vertical-careening. My mind is the space between here and there. I’m thrashing on air. I’m writhing in saliva-ocean. Lost in an unyielding void where a few letters rested heavy in your mouth. I’m flying. I’m flying. I’m floating. I’m falling. I’m floundered. I’m drowning. I’m drowning. I’m drowning. I’m drowned. And if it ends in ache then break me here. Black and wet. Let me ache sempiternal, restless, in your mouth.

Believing in everything you told me.

Led to a cut so deep I felt every part of me tear open.

I didn’t know all the words and actions put forth could be so empty.

Time heals all, at least it makes it hurt less.

Now you’re happy again.

It is everything it appears to be, maybe I just know too much.

There is no pleasure in knowing that you are intertangled with karma.

That you will ultimately be brought at least a sliver of pain that you brought me.

You found it all too easy to get what you want fast

Seduce her with lies until that throbbing need has passed 

Pocket that cash because you worship glitter and gloss

You’re addicted to desire, you’re dripping wet in loss  

And be sure to dress it pretty for your social media feed

Breath in that silicon glory, lap up that holier-than-thou greed

But one day you’ll awaken and find yourself lonely and scarred 

That boomerang called Fate came around to whack you hard 

Your soul once golden, crumbles to pieces in defeat

Open wide, here’s a putrid portion of it for you to eat 

Rinse and repeat until you learn about  love and sincerity

It’s time to grow up and face life with terrifying clarity

Rise of bile in the scratchy throat

Rough waters flood my sorrow moat

Fevered sweat swirling in thick air

No one around to answer my prayer

Terror gushing over the despair dam

My shaking spine can’t escape this jam

Limbs flailing, so frail and feckless 

How did I fall so fast, so helpless?

Worse struck by fear that today will repeat

Tomorrow's another sinister day of defeat

This had been a difficult, disturbing year for me and I was exhausted as I fell back on my chair seeking the relief of a deep sleep, maybe even a permanent one. But as I tossed and turned on my chair, I opened my tormented eyes to see my past thumbing its nose at me from the chair across the room. I saw his demeaning face berating me, telling me I was worthless, his face contorted in a rage with veins bulging on his forehead.

“Can’t I even escape you in my nightmares?” I moaned in utter dismay.

Suddenly, it dawned on me that I was the master of my dreams. I could change my destiny by tweaking the circumstances, molding them to my needs and wants. I decided to get rid of the albatross that had been hanging on my neck for far too long. But I had so many fates to choose from. I decided that an unknown force would slice the artery in his neck and leave him suffering while he bled out. I laughed out loud, knowing that I would never have the courage to watch him die if I were awake.

The next morning, for the first time in many months, I awoke refreshed and feeling ready to face the future. I realized it had only been a dream but it forced me to realize that I needed to excise him, neatly, from my life forever. Getting up to start some coffee, I was horrified to see a large crimson stain on my chair. I hated knowing that I had to get rid of my brand new chair!