Guilty

Photo by Thirdman

I bend my neck while looking in the dusty mirror,

Trying to recall where they sank in their teeth.

The silence in my room is muffling my howls,

And my skin is a portal with nothing underneath.

I have treated these bruises a dozen times,

But the recipe suddenly slips my loud thoughts.

Did they drain me below the point of no return?

Will the next sip break me down to parts?

I hear them all scratching at the metal door,

Begging for one more taste of the forbidden.

The scars on my back ache in a horrid rhythm.

Do I fight or do I leave my soul bedridden?

I feel veins popping as the red rage spreads,

And suddenly there is no right or wrong.

Maybe I should bite back until nothing matters,

Maybe I was the beast all along.

-Jackie

Summoning The Beast

Photo by Алекке Блажин

It started with candles and a bottle of gin,

And a text from my ex begging me to come over.

I deleted the number three weeks ago

When I saw hot ashes on her pale shoulders.

I spilled all the water on her old sofa,

Swearing to never let my lips say her name.

But these candles whisper in gentle tones,

And escaping darkness is a terrible game.

The floor creaks under my weight as I break.

If I move, the night will swallow me whole.

These voices around me are getting louder.

My own voice feels like it’s only a mole.

I feel fingers tracing my shoulders with ice,

And my eyelids refuse to open up.

Low growls snake around my pale skull.

I know I will have to drink from the cup.

Still, it started with candles and one hex,

And a text from ex wishing me true peace.

I have bottled up every gram of my rage.

Tonight I will finally summon the beast.

-Jackie

Green Eyes

Photo by Khoa Võ

My hot sweat freezes the moment it touches the air,

And I am afraid to blink in case my eyeballs burst.

Those bright green irises in the woods move in pairs.

Both of my feet are glued to the grass with a curse.

I do not know how to breathe without them shrieking,

And the wind is now picking up the pace in leaps.

The door between life and death is violently creaking.

Those bright green eyes will kill me in my sleep.

-Jackie

I Will Be The Prey

Photo by Rafael Santos

The ache shoots through my trembling body,

It gets buried so deep I can barely survive.

I know I am alive because you haunt me,

But I am not sure if my love can be revived.

I was the hunter, but you took my weapons,

Humbling me in front of the crowds.

I allowed it to happen, thinking you care,

While you grew me a forest of violent doubts.

Not sure if you were avenging yourself

Or if my confidence was your last enemy.

Go and take your apologies to your grave.

I will be the prey in your shining legacy.

-Jackie

Joyless

Photo by Chris F

I never gave you a smile, never gave you my time,

Never got in that plane, never bought that ticket.

The seconds are ticking away, but they’re all mine.

Where do I put my love once you call it wicked?

I was never vulnerable, I was never that open,

Never thought it was you who I should be fearing.

I sprinkled my kindness right into your oven.

You burned it alive, called the cries endearing.

I gave you company while dying from loneliness,

But I never should have wasted so much peace.

The city corners branded me the pale baroness,

And they predicted that your love is a disease.

You never gave me hope, never wasted my time,

Never waited at the airport, never brought me joy.

The kindness is slipping away with the chimes.

Where will you put my love once I break that toy?

-Jackie

My Bogeyman

Photo by Tayla Walsh

There’s nobody left here to listen, just my therapist,

And I have to check my words at the door.

I know you’re watching it unravel from the precipice

With that little smirk I always adored.

My eyes can’t meet yours, not just yet.

The doctors keep telling me that I shouldn’t see you.

I can’t afford to lose another royal bet,

But the sharp winds force me to retreat too.

What will become of this story, my bogeyman?

Will I write myself dry or respect your last wishes?

You just want me to run as far as I can

While in my head we’re breaking oaths and dishes.

Still, there’s no one left to hear me out,

And everyone who knew me found a reason to flee.

The silence you grant me tastes like a drought.

I’m trying to decide if this woe is my prophecy.

-Jackie

Destructive

Photo by T

How did we burst into flames before you got to hold me?

I shouldn’t have reached for the light switch that night.

The green lies in your vessels gripped my skull like a trophy,

And the passersby told me it was a fearsome sight.

I thought we both mattered, but I think that you misspoke.

There is only you in the grand reflections and frames.

It has been a while since someone took me for a joke,

And I did not expect for you to dig me three graves.

Love, why did I combust into fractions for your pleasure?

You can deny it, but I still think you burned me first.

My rage knows no bounds, your spite knows no measure.

The warm fire we once lit is now battered and cursed.

-Jackie

Nothing Good Can Come Out Of This

Photo by Maria Eduarda Loura Magalhães

All signs point to the edge of this cliff,

And we are destined to be fate’s latest victims.

I remember you saying nothing good will come out of this,

But I was not convinced,

Hoping we’d split the difference.

I claimed distant corners of your mind.

My barriers melted under your mellow breath.

You showed me parts of my being that I could never find,

And I knew if I stopped,

Nights would taste like red regret.

We took off flying without looking back.

The pastel sky fed us translucent fantasies.

It took just one drop of rain to make the sugar crack,

And I saw you for who you are –

My last unfulfilled prophecy.

All signs point to the end of this dusk.

We are destined to be tonight’s latest casualties.

I remember you saying nothing good will come out of us,

But I leaned in,

And now we’ll never know peace.

-Jackie

Your Terms

Photo by T

I wish I didn’t have to say my goodbyes

Every time you need someone to agonize.

You hide in your shell, and I can only guess

If you are going to love me or pull out a test.

Yes, I was once angry and contradictory.

I burned down my city and called it a victory.

You kept showing up whenever you pleased,

And I mistook a trench for a tiny crease.

God, I tried, I gave up my polished fences.

While I looked away, you broke all the lenses.

Now my image lives in your dull eyes,

And it’s looking a lot like a sweet demise.

I wish I could take back my forgiveness,

Sell it to people who only mean business.

Your love feels like a needle in my chest,

But I know you would leave if I tried to confess.

I didn’t understand then, but I get it now –

If I step on your terms, I lose the crown.

(You should have been more careful when killing my mind.

Even gentle people attack from behind.)

-Jackie

Churches And Other Saintly Things

Photo by Christian Muñoz

The door of the old church was heavy,

But you made sure I got in right after you.

Why do all of our stories sound saintly?

I bet nobody really believes they are true.

You might even remember your words

Or how you made them sound like an oath.

Love was not something we could afford.

We knew one day it could drown us both.

Still, we swam in these deep waters,

And each time you vanished, I followed.

I told you about the curse of my father

While your sentences stayed hollow.

I would have chased you as the end was nearing,

I would have made you a part of me.

People showed up as you kept disappearing,

But I did not care about their empathy.

Whenever you returned, the scars closed,

And my pain got brushed under the skin.

I knew that one day I would get disposed.

Still, I craved your love like it was a sin.

-Jackie