Unreliable Narrator

by Audrey Elledge

Come, you

you’re not the first to notice how I take and give

give me your attention and I’ll parcel mine

mine you for treasure that I’ll keep

keep calling me and I’ll turn my back

back and forth until you bruise

bruise dizzy and warm, steam coming from the wound

wounded by me but still you stay

stay for one more siren song, one more

more is my specialty, my brand

brand you with searing belief

believe me, someone else will love you better

better is a lie

lie with me one more night

night is when I fool you with light

light as birth as you walk so young

young like glass

glass windows reflecting your gravity on concrete

concrete mouth makes you bleed

bleed and call it good, call it right

right then you thought you were alone

alone in my gaze, and special

special is my currency here

here you are fooled by my metallic attention into believing

believe no one as precious as you could fade

fade while I pinch your heart into two

two into a million now

now I tell you about all the girls who have come before

before you was them, and I touched them too

too many for me to remember

remember when you came to me with longing in your ribs

ribs you now count at night to sleep

sleep without me in your bed because I will not come

come with you, no, I will come for you

you and the target on your crystal heart and back

back to me, I say, come back

back and back you come, 

come you always will.

Will you always so easily come?