most mornings i avoided the mirror, not in fear of my face, but yours.

i knew that i would see your smile where my lips should have been, or your confidence
sparked in my irises. i carried you everywhere, presented your face over mine
like a mask, unwilling to wear my strength because i preferred yours.

the more time we spent together, the more i consumed
you until i could no longer fit in my own body. i was intoxicated, enamored
by every sip of you, love drunk until i needed my stomach pumped.

it wasn’t supposed to feel like this, i was only supposed to look rather than touch.
my nails broke and fingers bled as i tugged at my face, prying
away the adhesive between us like pages of a book glued together.

most mornings i avoided the mirror, not in fear of my face, but yours.

i knew that no matter how much i picked at the surface, you
remained in the underlining of my belly, ready
to seep through my pores with every taste.