I stared at my monstrosities, I looked them in the eye, swimming in pools of ink.

Silent in their darkness, I spoke.

“I forgive you,” I whispered, breaking their unyielding gaze.

They reached for me,
a single claw, then many, tangled into a mess of limbs and bone.

Pulled into an embrace, thorny vines twist around me, their eyes lock on mine.

Resistance made the vines tighten,

I welcome them inside

Our embrace into melting and melting into growth,

creation

I stared into the mirror expecting to see a monster,

but all I saw standing before me was human,
flesh and blood,

and darkness too.