(w)a(r)

soldier of breath

armed with exhalations and arms

that are taking too much oxygen

pressing her away

meanwhile

the heart is losing the battle

and there is a foxhole somewhere

you might fit into

but she feels clunky and tired and worn

like a used gun that smokes too much

and shoots too little

how are you supposed to feel

when you forgot how you are

and worse

how you feel

and suppose

*

nothing lasts forever

except maybe

nothing

*

i am a cave

with stalagmites

that’ll chew you up

just give me a few thousand years

and you’ll find my bite is the earth’s

and bones make for good minerals

and i have closed now

with you on my tongue

like a face melted in dirty love

*

it’ll be alright

to not be it

and not right all