Eyelashes are pretty funny,
aren't they?
Pick one out with tweezers,
hold it to the fluorescent light of the rented classroom.
what do you see? nothing? good.
Invisible like trying not to sob (in filament),
tangible, tactile like failing to do just that
Heralding pressure behind the eyes:
like angels, turned demons by mascara.
Wipe your eyes
(they're coming out in sheets now)
Hand goes to the back of your angry birds t-shirt.
bad choice, buddy!
black smear on the backhand
(bitemarks on the front shaped like your retainer)
burning at both ends.
eyelash candlewick,
Cat o' nine tails for Gregorian chant castrati.
(they're letting twelve year olds write this stuff?)
Bite the wax
Bite your shirt collar (so handsome, so handsome!)
sink your teeth into your thenar
look what you did.
oh well.
sorry is for when there's blood. right now,
there's just pressure in your throat.
eyelashes and phlegm
on the Mac keyboard,
Mom in the other room.
Your head hurts. (when doesn't it?)
Six years later, you wonder
why you can't make noise anymore.