we exist in packs, in flocks, in ******* smacks of jellyfish, you know?
but you won't see us
as broken
as timid
we bare our teeth like machines when we brush our teeth and we put our hands in our pockets so that you can't see our ****** knuckles, the cuts on our arms or the scars
you have to know that this isn't a sign of weakness
that we're the brave ones for sticking through with this,
i was born in a mental institution and i sleep one hour a night.
but i spend most of my time in this sick bed
too much time inside my own head
we roll with the punches but never pull our own
you are nto who everyone else wants you to be
if you were you wouldn't need makeup to cover the bruises you wouldn't have without us
wouldn't have to crawl back to your bat cave every night
lying about where you were and who you were with
as though spilling some blood wasn't already sewn into our genetic code
ironed on to cover up some emptiness we couldn't have otherwise patched,
just know that this craving isn't some sort of temporary fix,
it's your only answer.
it's pulling at you, tugging at you every which way
making your blood boil like your soul is on fire
like you could blow smoke out your nostrils and scream a symphony
don't hate yourself for that hunger
that screech inside of yourself that refuses to be silenced or sedated
bring yourself
back inside yourself
and take a deep breath.
i want you to hit me as hard as you can.