You whispered, summoned me
Opened up my eyes to see
“Stay with me,” from scarlet lips

I did it all
for you,
embraced the fall
I took it all
but you left me
bleeding and bruised
broken and used
spit in my eye

You hateful bitch
black-hearted witch
your poisoned words
you lying shit

You hateful bitch
you jagged itch
an empty hole
is all you give

Trust, the secret knife
hidden daggers in your eyes
“Come to me,” your finger crooked

Open, your ivory noose
score my chest and set it loose
“Abase yourself,” with piercing look

I did it all
for you,
embraced the fall
I took it all
but you left me
bleeding and bruised
broken and used
spit in my eye

You hateful bitch
black-hearted witch
every word you said
was full of shit

You hateful bitch
you jagged itch
your heart-shaped hole
a blackened pit

Did I amuse you?
A slaughter to please you?
My naive trust you made obscene

Was I just this?
a sacrificial kiss?
Did I fulfill your vicious dreams?

You did it all
ice cold fingers
pulled my fall
You took it all
and you left me
dead on the inside
dead on the inside
you left me dead on the inside
dead on the inside
dead on the inside
dead on the inside,
and
I hope
somebody
makes you suffer

I can feel it — 
inoculated by empty kisses
the sound of your voice yet bites deep

I mistook time in your eyes
blue water on a beach
flowing, sinking, ebbing,
out to unknown waters — 
would that
I had known the undertow

Even now,
truth told
against the bile of my stomach,
the hint of you
still draws breath.

“Yes, Jesus?”

“I’m just curious… Why’d you only give people four toes?”

“That’s all they need. Why?”

“Well, five fingers, four toes, just seems… odd.”

“Technically it’s four fingers and a thumb.”

“Well, their feet have one abnormally big toe, kind of like a thumb.”

“But not opposable.”

“I get that, Dad, but hands have that little pinky finger that moves all weird and makes the other finger move with it… but no little toe?”

“That was an artistic choice, Son. However, the pinky does have a special purpose.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, it’s the only finger that will reliably fit in a nostril or an ear. I plan on making those things itch.”

“…but-”

“The ‘elbow’ thing? That’s just for liability. Can’t have people jabbing their brains and claiming ‘well, God gave me a diggy finger!’ It’s an ‘at your own risk’ sort of thing.”

“Yeah… I guess I can’t really imagine anyone needing to dig in an orifice with a tiny toe.”

“That would be gross, Son.”

“Grosser than doing it with a finger?”

“Absolutely.”

“Yeah, I have to give you that.”

“Son…”

“Yeah, Dad?”

“The four-toe thing is actually bothering you, eh?”

“A bit.”

“Fine, I’ll add an additional little toe, but since it’s a last-minute addition, I’m not going to waste time on making it useful or anything… like, it’ll barely be able to move by itself and we’re low on toenail material so don’t expect much there, either.”

“That’s fantastic!”

“Yeah, I mean, what could it hurt?”

Your feet on the ground,
my head in the clouds,
maybe we’ll find our piece of heaven
there,
in the space between earth and sky.

inspired by D. E.’s words:

Ground

Between Earth and Sky was originally published in Chalkboard on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It’s been apparent to most of you that Poetry Under Cover has been just barely active for a while now.

I first want to apologize for that. I know some of you have waited and waited on a submission to be published or just being added as a Writer in the first place. It’s not because we don’t care. Marika and I have loved this place, but we’ve both been saddled with other responsibilities to the point that we’re not doing our readers or writers any justice here.

With much love and many many fond memories, I’m shutting down activity here. I’m not deleting anything, and I’m not saying PUC won’t come back to life at some point, but, for now, we’ll not be processing submissions or adding new writers.

I apologize for those with submissions or new writer requests pending. We’re just not able to give you the attention you deserve at this point.

I assure you that your stories will be displayed here, as always, regardless of the activity status, but we won’t be at all bothered if you need to remove any stories published here.

It was an honor to be your Editors.

With much love and gratitude,
Heath ዟ
and
Marika

Dear Readers and Writers — an Important Update was originally published in Poetry Under Cover on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.