if who we are is made up

of values

they line our spine

each vertebrae

something we hold dear

twisting my spine

to shape what you expect

i’ll continue to bend backwards

until i break

what good is a broken spine?

values ground to dust

they fall as ashes

where once my two feet stood

you say you can see me

but when my eyes meet yours

why is my reflection dissolving?

i’ve woven my own noose

invisible so the world won’t watch

as i suffocate

you think i like it

consent is a sealed deal

but i can’t breathe

the arteries strangle my heart

how many times

can i fall like

Icarus

before my skin remains

charred, blackened

wings too crumpled to

take flight

x

© The Beast Goddess