Abstinence

The young woman grins at me,

Sending me spiralling

Down.

There is no bottom to this pit.

I dream, I dream, I dream,

All for nothing.

So much time

Spent.

I don Purity

Make my promises

Of abstinence,

Only to be frustrated.

The woman laughs at me

We should be friends.

Toiling away

I eat lunch alone,

Waiting for,

Shame

On my Lust,

I watch the dancers

Take the stage,

Powdered smiles and dead eyes,

Grinning at me.

afterwards,

spirals.

When I close my eyes She

Is there,

Playing with my hair

Plying me with drugs

And drink.

I’m flying,

bloodshot yellow

eyes

Bear witness.

Down the pit,

Sand covering my head,

I can’t hear.

A mouthful of grains

Leads to drowning,

Lungs stretching

Ribs expanding

But I’m a fish,

Buried in sand

asphyxiating.

help.

The young fish grins at me

With Her shiny scales

And beautiful gills,

Come.

shaking

shivering

shuddering

we drown

in the sand.

by Max Brady Cooper