criminal

 

you lay

curled

and coiled

as a snake

on the pavement

 

hot as the sun

rising

or a light

so strong that

it blinds me

 

breaks me

all to pieces

in the face

of you and

 

your slick-skinned

tongue

 

sharp as a

serpent

thk thk thk’ing

on the ground

 

thk thk thk’ing

out back

 

out where

my feet keep

moving

 

forward

pulling me

straight into

your rattling

skat tat tat tatling

reaches

 

like a mouse

 

like a small

oblivious

little beast

 

scuttling

towards certain

 

death

 

a sad

criminal

sort of game

that we just

 

can’t

stop playing