and he says it didn't hurt and

you'd nail yourself to a tornado, darling
tie yourself up in the waves and tell yourself that
it's just water
it won't hurt you

you popped the discs in your spine and twisted your shoulder
blades
back and back and snapping

click your tongue and your fingers and your camera
photoflash and lick
biting the dry skin from your lips and pressing it against his
you'd press yourself close only to
tear it away

why on earth did you decide that a recovering addict was a good person to love?

when did you start to think that the bass beat of your feet
and the revolution in your eyes weren't addictive? stupid
stupid girl
they could bottle you and you'd have them dead by sunset
pull your sleeves down and pretend you don't miss it

push your head up and face their eyes and promise that you meant it
that you broke that heart in boredom and danced on that grave
tell them how you burned that rope bridge and it's over now
it's all in the past

you tie your hair up in that same rope and face away
from the mirror
hopping from one quick fix to another
you crush your cigarette in your palm and the burns scream
don't
because you're just as bad and you're so much worse
pretend the fires happened, that you lit the fuse, call yourself guy fawkes and walk
away.