all bang no whimper

it was an ordinary crash

each car tangled into

a web of metal and shards

maybe there was a fire

i walked out

and you got on your knees

to give your life to christ

the hotel had a full-length mirror

and for the first time in nearly a decade

i looked upon my own flesh

and said it was good

i’m almost certain there was a fire

in kindergarten i remember the drills

devise a plan

get out

you can’t stay in a burning home

humans are so primal

they see an inferno and their pupils

dilate in desire

but my hands are on fire

flames licking back my skin

to the bone and i'm honestly

too tired to care if

you touch me and the fire obliterates you

*Published in Skyway Journal on 1/7/22

**A 2023 Best of the Net nominee