by Kelly Lynn
Please he begged
with eyes that rivaled
a puppy’s
but only when shaded with the rose of young love
and hindsight is 20/20
when you’re 20
with stubble that felt
like steel wool
against your lips
like scrubbing with a janked up wire haired scrub brush
was the only way to clean yourself
and you said no no thanks
I’d rather not
I’ll pass
and he said he’d return the favor
as he bragged about how good he was and how every ex loved it
as he complained about how he hated it and it wasn’t worth the effort
and you said no I’m not interested it’s not for me there’s no need
and he said just once
that it would make his day
week
month
that it had been so long and he just wanted one more
please please please but
peer pressure hadn’t worked before
so why would it work now
but he had walnut shells in his voice and
winds whipped in his words
until your complaints had lost their jagged edges and you were left smoother than a grain of sand
that floated
unhindered
since the paleolithic era
that hid secrets and bones
that filled a closet much too big for you
and you gave in
and he gripped your hair
and he pushed you down
and he made you feel like vomiting and he made it hard to breath
and he groaned
and he complimented your work and he left salt on your tongue and he left sludge in your throat and he called you a liar
and he lied
and he asked
again and
again and
again and
you gave in
faster than a bone becomes sand
Hummingbird Tears
it was over so fast
it surely didn’t happen
a hummingbird’s heartbeat could’ve rivaled
how long it took to
deflower me