Mateo Perez Lara
verge
there, at the precipice I take one last
wield vulnerable flesh knives, I think
souls to the highest bidder, us
need// god coax it out // our sticky
crown set atop a cliff, they wear their
mother says tell the truth about how I
my cousin after he molested me, I
was a lamp rubbed // rubbed, the genie
me // one last truth // one last care // it
wish // I couldn’t say it // my grandma,
each gnarled hand on each naïve body
believed more in God, I would pray more // set myself on fire // cleanse // cut // rip sin be rid of
this humiliation, be rid of this constant anguish.
glimpse: we rove // writhe through one another
blood only rubied-gem in the hand when we sold
swallowed silent, this sinuous affair, clenched fists
nightmare // I envy people without abusers, and a
crowns on their heads I ate mine in the womb my
spoke to my uncle after he abused me, I spoke to
found a crown, smashed, I did not know protection
comes out // I wanted to tell how their faces haunt
follows me everywhere, a stain // I wanted to make a
my mom will not talk to my abusers, I think about
// what everyone says // does // do // did // and if I