i don’t think there are things quite like this: quite like ocean-breathing. quite like soft hearts and softer fingers. quite like hands strong and hair pulled. kiss me until i forget her name. push me on my knees in the hallway—breathe me; breathe me; breathe me. i don’t think there are things quite like this: quite like “take it off”. quite like “****, ****, you’re—”. quite like “how much **** would you get for this hickey?”. give me mouth to neck to hands to back. give me soft, give me softer, harder. give me all teeth, all fingernails, all scratch and no soothe. i’m not drunk but i might as well be; you have never been an instrument i knew how to play well enough to perform. i’m on my knees and then not anymore and i’m not one for praying but i feel like this is the moment i ask god when i turned into something so close to an exit wound even my mother wouldn’t recognise me anymore. i don’t think there are things quite like this: quite like trembling so hard the china might scatter on the floor like ashes. quite like “i’m not just using you”. quite like whispers so soft they seem to go up in smoke. he kisses my neck and i go weak in the knees but i feel like i would be strong enough to withstand a hurricane like this. he kisses my neck and his hand is on my hip and i think about how sometimes a flood brings more than it takes away and i think that’s you. i think that’s you. sometimes i wonder if i could be like that for you too. you see, i don’t think there are things quite like this: quite like shaking but still. quite like cold but willing. quite like you.