She keeps her wedding ring on
for the same reason she refuses to leave
the house without makeup on.

She swallows knives,
then gets angry

when you make her spit them out
and refuse to name her magic.

She will throw a tantrum if you don’t
let her call self-destruction a talent.

She takes an axe to the television set,
smiles at her lover and says Honey,

isn’t this grand? Now the only thing we have
to watch is each other.

She glosses her lips with gasoline,
kisses the mouths of matchstick men

then complains everyone she loves
is on fire.