Slowly I burn
Breathe through the smoke
Scorching my lungs
Catch in my throat
Hands closing in
Tighten their grip
Red always fades
Fingerprints in my mind

Steaming water, pour over me
Cleanse my wrongs
Wash away the fear
Burn away my shell

Cover it up, give it time
Time heals all wounds, sure,
As I relive my own
Reopen, pop the stitches
Some just won’t go
Maybe not yet
Surely not today.

- February 10th, 2023