I permit them to spout out of my skin
- growing longer and sharper.
Claws.
They hack at my skin
Like peeling back the layers of an onion;
One by one.
I used to wince - but now there's pleasure in this pain.
When I'm bored: Soft, circular gnawing.
When I'm nervous: Digging deep into my wounds.
When I'm over thinking: Turning the skin on my fingers, **red.