I just felt myself die

And every second afterwards was a reminder

Flesh is not as tempting as you made it seem

It just is a mark that escapes notice


And today I watched a suicide

Written cleanly between the lines of poetry

There were enough reason to leave me gasping

Sharing the panicked desperation of their loved ones mourning

It was pretty to watch them degrade

Their sawdust imprinted on skin

I was told to take it standing up

Far away from the floor I was tempted to decay upon

At attention I couldn’t help but to stop, drop, and roll


I learned to keep myself safe before I learned my name

Lost in translation through the years

My priorities shifted from existing to pretending I wasn’t inside my skin