he is going to ask you about him.
just know that it will be the first question out of his mouth
when he sees the empty parking lot look in your eyes
when you pass certain places.
be prepared to tell him. are you afraid?
one mention of his name and your mouth burns for hours afterward.
you won’t know how to talk about him. the other one.
what are you supposed to say? be honest.
tell him how your heart was a city burning to its knees when he left,
how every object you came across looked like a weapon
because it reminded you of him
tell him about the withdrawal, how you tried erasing
the taste of his lips by getting lost in the mouths of strangers
tell him what it felt like to love him,
how it was the bravest and stupidest thing you’d ever done.
you are going to choke on your own pain.
tell him you buried him next to your innocence a long time ago.
then have another drink.
when he asks you about the one who came before him,
you aren’t going to answer. you’re going to run.
the one before him taught you how to do that well (k.w)