Spider with four legs
Red-bellied
It sank in its fangs as I thumbed the scars under your eyes
And you told the stories of the beast
That tasted you before you had flavor

Stopping and dwelling
On every word that was said
And making me question
The contents of my bed

Eyes forward
Hands at my sides
Be a good soldier
Don’t break rank

These walls can’t be breached
If we maintain the strength of numbers
Maintain the strength of years

Fingers in throat, I purge myself of . .

Stopping and dwelling
On every word that was said
And making me question
The contents of my bed

We were just two inconsistencies, too afraid to abandon the familiar

So I tricked myself into thinking you owed me something
Made myself believe nothing changed over time

Remember when you puked in your lap
From your breakfast of smoke and pills
Drove home and crawled into bed
And asked me to cure your ills
I brushed the powder from your hair
And whispered as quietly as I could
“You called me to come, does this mean you love me, too?”
“No, you’re just the only one who would.”
And when you finally snuck out the back
And waved good-bye to what could have been
And stopped being what I hoped could happen
And became an, "I remember when."

Opportunity knocked