By: Dakota Phillips

Ignition

You were dark in the doorway
and I held a contrite, eleven-year-old
in my arms.
Don’t you ever
raise your voice at me again.
I knew that you might
but with serpent tongue,
I was certainly no victim either.
There was still remedy and us
and well, I would do
anything.

###

Mary Jane

Don’t dream so fast:
Everything that he loves, dies.
These were one of his first
words uttered (how bizarre).
Well, if you did die,
he has killed you.
And you, him (oh, yes).
Now, you have both
only suffered.
None of this is you.
Don’t dream so fast (don’t dream).