When your teeth bit down I broke in two,
splitting down the middle like kindling
the halves peeling open
to reveal the flakes of me crumbling
to charcoal dust in your mouth.
Water couldn’t swill the taste of me out
and spitting only left streaks
drawn down your chin,
watery grey lines smeared across skin
and stains on a handkerchief
that wouldn’t wash out.
There was no mettle to me
instead I buckled beneath your heat,
melted and warped
into puddles of slag you left behind
dotting the pavement
as loose coins might have fallen
face down,
ashamed.
Bronze is beaten until burnished
but I was not bronze.
Perhaps it was best you left me behind.
Daily Prompt: Assay
Like this:
Like Loading...
Published by Carol J Forrester
Carol J Forrester is a writer and a history geek. Her debut collection 'It's All In The Blood' came out November 2019.
She has a 2:1 BA degree in history from Bath Spa University, enjoys judo at least twice a week, and tries to attend poetry events around the Midlands when she can.
Her flash fiction story ‘Glorious Silence’ was named as River Ram Press’ short story of the month for August 2014 and her short story ‘A Visit From The Fortune Teller’ has been showcased on the literary site Ink Pantry. Her poems ‘Sunsets’ and ‘Clear Out‘ were featured on Eyes Plus Words, and two of her poems were included in the DVerse Poets Pub Publication ‘Chiaroscuro’ which is available for purchase on amazon.Her poem ‘Until The Light Gets In‘ was accepted and published at The Drabble and her poem ‘Newborn’ was published by Ink Sweat & Tears.
She has been lucky enough to write guest posts for sites such as Inky Tavern and Song of The Forlorn and has hosted a number of guest bloggers on her site Writing and Works.
View all posts by Carol J Forrester
Hey.
Your writing is fantastic and I love this.
Thank you very much. There are plenty of other stories and poems on the site if you’d like to have a look around.