fall.

[human_montage]

it's interesting how we jumped the gap
between lovers and enemies
in less time than it took for a leaf to fall.
how we moved from tracing poems in open palms
to carving out a pound of flesh
while trying not to get blood on our hands.

in what seemed to be a blink of an eye
these hands that held you up
are the hands that clenched into fists
and the eyes that looked into yours
are the eyes now swollen shut, unseeing and unyielding.

i see myself as i always was:
a swirling shadow in the drops of oil
that drip from the rags i stuff into bottles
of sickly reds and greens and blacks.
through you, i saw myself as fuel to drive
now i am worth nothing but flames.

we are what shuffles over each other's grave.
we are each other's wraiths, flickering in the daylight.
we are always thirsty
we drink only salt water.
we are the last rites we choke to each other
on a battlefield in a war we waged together.

we remember what it is to lean on one another
and we rain kisses and deathblows on tear-stained faces
we all strive for forgiveness
but forgetfulness is what we settle for.