in my head he sings the summer and calls the moon

in my mind he uses verse

a tool that could be used to terrify

or flood gates and heartstrings

but the timbre now is only rain

falling steadily    surely    unrelentingly

surely not

I’m afraid so

his heartblood drips over mine

floodgates              just so

the road is paved with silk, azure scales, and good intentions

over the terrace and painting your scars like a hero

oh, it fell better this time             felt better

carrying carrion like the hell he’s in

stand on the terrace and wait

I hear his song in every key

I pound out the verses with every step I take

I hum along with my nerves and my veins

the moon echoes back in the timbre of rain

summer, summer, summer and pain

the pain he’s singing for

will dissolve you

will stain your thoughts and eat at your eardrums

open the floodgates and burn the terrace

sing the liquid summer til everything washes past

and all you hear is her name