teething
Reb ecca Ko ki t us
like the flowers you steal
from strangers’ gardens you
wilt,
rootrotten
you’re humidity unraveling
too soon,
I was an earthworm
on the sidewalk, catching raindrops
on my tongue, my seven hearts,
one for each man
who’s
called me
beautiful
all one
careless footstep away
from being
roadkill in miniature
your heart was large and permanently
damaged
like my father’s, like
having too much pride to admit
when you’re having a heart attack
you kissed me so hard the
bottle was jealous, your silver tongue
was
a blade against my throat
when I bared my teeth
branding you, I was
teething
I wasn’t
31
Cauldron Anthology