she told me
how the images
burned into her mind
and implanted themselves
in every nerve of her body.
how she saw him
with blood in his eyes
before he got
stuffed in that bag
and rolled away.
"my partner in crime is dead.
if I had gone
with him,
he would still be here.
I could still hear his voice.
touch his skin.
see his eyes light up.
*** his smokes.
light his cigarettes.
tell him how much I hate him
even though I don't mean it.
I never meant it."
4 months later
he is rotting
and so is she.
her heart is smashed
and her brain is fried
and her lungs are stained black
with memories of him.
she still uses his lighter.
she still smokes his cigarettes
because only she knew where
he hid them.
she still can't say his name.