bravery and bathwater (aka dear ed)

the sun burns off the fingerprints
and the smoke grays the memories
but the boy listened

and the bruises simmered in the pot of oil
and the eyes looked
and the fingers closed

because b is for this broken bread
and r is for my road to recovery
and ave is for avery
and the sun
and the moon
and the stars too

but you werent supposed to be my broken bread
and he was never meant to be my savior
even when he rinsed his hands with bleach
and the blood ran away by the spoonful

and his words were meant for the linen closet
instead of table number three
but i still licked the hand that fed
and begged for more

you are not my avery
you are not my sun
you are not my moon
but i am one of the many stars you keep
in your back pocket
and the light bleeds from my hands

and i hope you see it.

you are the bathwater to my matchstick
the bird to my wings
and i am drowning
drowning
drowning

one cup two cups three cups
one cup two cups three cups

and the bath filled
and the girl gave in
and she dropped her lips to the water
and drank
while she watched the fall of the matchstick
pulling from her hands

i hope you see it.