You gave me mouth-to-mouth
poison:
diffused slow and sweet
through each bone
nestled in joints
a black heart of
black cobwebs,
every disease in
this bloody world
spread head to toe,
my mind
a cadaverous caricature
my heart
a child’s desire.
You gave me breath-to-breath
concussion:
cigarette smoke
dancing on my tongue
launches deep
and beyond,
toxic
every breath we shared.
I have no breath left-
asthma.
my bones, half broken-
arthritis.
dizziness, nausea, breathlessness.
symptoms
you gave me
diseases
each one.
I left a thank you note
in the pocket of your shirt-
the one,
beside your awful, beautiful
heart.