Black Roses

Black roses scattered on ground

devil’s gift reeking rotten scent

gravel digs deeply into my chin.

Mind chaos – am I still here?

ping pong ball pain

side to side inside skull

dark pain of crashing brain

no stop signals in sight.

Light pole arcs jangling light

boring swords into eyeballs.

I see with veil obscuring

rose’s deep crimson blood,

coating psyche in red slashes.

Knife lies sanguine across alley

Devil’s body, outstretched arms

coal black with stabs of red

I lift my throbbing head

searching for facial features

Is this what the devil looks like?

Yes, it is Satan incarnate

life blood pooling around him.

Lightning bolt stabs my memory

carmine flashes awakening senses

I realize it’s tainted ex-husband –

Chewed me up in little crust pieces,

now I have ripped a chunk out of him.

I feel no guilt as I stagger away

free of the scourge of my past, but

I can’t scrub the blood off my hands.