taste.
jealousy tastes like bile
licks at your insides, leaving blisters in its wake
makes its way up your throat, oozes past the crease of your lips
down your chin
slips past your pulse point, splashing over the curve of your clavicle
drips hot and sticky on your chest
full circle, seeping slow into your heart
something pure soiled so easily
fleeting glances
the world doesn't end all at once.
understating the tangled mess
downplaying what you don't understand
prodding won't unravel knotted threads
perhaps it will leave you alone if you don't bother
more scared of you than you are of it
watching nervously on the sidelines
shifting weight from one foot to another
as an unruly dog becomes an untamed wolf
spit froths and mixes with your rotting soul
disdain seeping from pores
vulgarity cannot cage a lion
backpedal quickly, hastily searching for the chance to stop
step on and grind it into the dirt
before it can regain its size
denial tastes bitter the second time around