vex

hush

ancient purr

i swore off obsidian thoughts

and lay awake on broken glass

i bled out more than once

i drew the poison out

the scavenger feeds in hum of low sea

cast-off exuviae

in fragility

i kept my head down and bit my tongue

until i tasted love

rare form at the casement

for which i burn

perfect psychosis

noiselessly whirrs

then hear the reflections

the words they demean

(then come destroyer

then come destroyer)

then come the destroyer

then we'll fight with our claws & teeth