There’s nothing I want more than to chew you up until my teeth grind you to paste, spit you out and glue back together the remnants of what we once were before you decided we no longer fit. You tossed me aside like a ratted pair of “maybe one day I’ll wear this again” jeans with grass stained knees, holes the size of the ones you left in my gut. The doctors swore hot Cheetos would eat my stomach lining but it’s nothing compared to the flaming crunch in my spine,... more

I’m in a locked garage with the engine running, too afraid to lower my windows because maybe I’m not quite ready to say goodbye. I turn up the volume, let Phoebe Bridgers muffle my ears, allow her haunting melody to drown out the pierce of my screams. Metallic crimson overflows in my throat as my vocal chords shred like the fibers on my last string of hope. Is this what feeling is supposed to taste like? The windows shatter and I’m inhaling the fumes, it seeps into my skin,... more

There’s a sad voice whispering through the speaker of my phone trying to convince me to rejoice because the lord has cometh and all I can think about is the moment I stopped believing in Santa. I asked for a red razor scooter that would eventually bruise my ankles, a reminder my footing was never stable to begin with. I wrote a letter to Santa and told my parents what I asked for. The morning of Christmas my dad rings bells exclaiming HO HO HO and Santa has come. I find my red razor... more

I call myself good girl as if you don’t turn me badas if I don’t crave the taste of your instabilitylet me feel the static shock of your desireseep into my skin and stain me with your wantI curl into myself in an attempt to disappearbecause as much as I pray you’ll seek meit’s much better if I remain hidingI’m not willing to risk it allyet the razor sharp edge of your jawlinethe warning sign flash of your smiletriple dog dares me to show you how I can besuch a good... more

ANEL is sitting at the bar drinking water and an Ace’s pineapple hard cider. Resting on HER chest is a crossbody bag. There is a MAN flirting with a WOMAN.How about this: I buy you a drink, we talk, and if by the time you finish your drink you’re sick of me, I’ll leave you alone. But if you finish your drink and you’re not sick of me… we see where it goes?The WOMAN smiles.I have to powder my nose.The WOMAN starts to walk away, stops, turns back to the MAN.Espresso... more

Just bring the whole bottle on the side.The woman whines into the glass, drinks the tears in between her sobs. She chokes on her sadness. The flavor is bitter, a heavy salt lathers and fizzes inside her cheeks. Her gasping weeps rattle the nearby tables and chairs. Customers duck and cover, awaiting the aftershocks of her seismic anguish. When they notice the coast is clear, someone asks if she’s alright. The woman places her fingers in the corners of her lips and tightly lifts them until... more