Drown

his scent swims around me
like a perfume too heavy for summer
me lost thing
intoxicated curled within him
drowning over and over

charmed disarmed
he comes when least expected
sits too close lingers too long
stares too deeply
and claims me with something I cannot name

lightheaded and clean
this is a gift
biting tongue until blood
I am sick with him

talk goes no deeper than tonight
words are tickets to spend time
skin is talking to skin
loud


(...)


Drown, Nicole Blackman
[Dead Inside, Golden Palominos
Restless Records, 1996]