The only love I have ever known is that of a sharpened blade
Sliding across the skin down my cheek
It scrapes my lips, crusty and dry
I open my mouth and swallow it whole

The only love I have ever known is one of deception and frailty
a misunderstanding between friends for half a decade
Stolen glances and tangled limbs
under the guise of girlhood
Linked elbows and shared secrets,
kisses through pinky promises
I-love-you’s encoded in braids,
written into birthday cards and class-passed notes:
permanent words to be disposed of

The only love I have ever known is one of false intentions
A first love like any other
jabbing joints, slick tongues
and pinched nipples: discomfort
in its simplest form
Razor-sharp remarks striking my taut skin
cracking open my sternum to reveal a heart
Leaning in to kiss it,
they clamp down with sharpened teeth
and ravish the overtired muscle

The only love I have ever known was never ridden to fruition
Stunted and short,
carved into pieces
Put out for sale at the butcher shop
dripping in blood from my veins
You can buy the cheaper cuts of me
stitch them back together
and reanimate with a compliment