Padlock

“Padlocks are portable locks used to protect against theft, vandalism, sabotage, unauthorized use, and harm. They are designed to protect against some degree of forced and surreptitious entry.”

—

i am a nest

cradled safely in branches

my mind, the bird

inside my brambles

each piece of me

in tangles

sterile and sound

fighting the wind

as it tears me down

i am the moon

i stand stark

against darkness

until morning

whisks me away

my light

beating, bleeding

drowned out by the sun

i am ten million pieces

of everything

you hate

a nonsense puzzle

broken apart

i am

putting my whole life

in a box

the lid, padlocked

shut tight

buried beneath sand

beneath permafrost

frozen

never again to corrupt

the fresh grass

that grows

in my heart

Descent

this is where

suspicion lies

deep beneath the sand

white and clean

beneath the earth

underwater

where i met him

he orchestrates for me

a nightmare

smoke from his lungs

chokes me on the

words

that roll so easily

from a forked tongue

and forth from my own lips

to tickle your ears

with temptations

propelling your mindless

descent

with a final act

of betrayal