the impurities

xxxix. safety pins

Childlike needles stuck in my palms,
I watch bright red trails trickle
Down to my fingertips
—You lick it off with a demonic grin
And my throat swells with horror—
I wrap my wrists in bandages
—White stained rust sticking
Between my fingers—
I whisper, the words like safety pins—
"I promise."
Dripping between bloody lips—
I will never—not again.