Lidocaine

watermelon chapstick

and hair dye on my neck

I think I’ve had a fever my whole life

/

tattoos on his cheekbones

and underneath his hair

He told me I should really be more careful

/

emptied out my pockets

on his kitchen table

I scoffed and said I wasn’t scared of him

/

maybe those weren’t my lines

(I’m a damned good actress)

this theater is as cutthroat as it gets

/

in truth I know that I’ll

always choose some bruises

over good things that leave scars after they fade