Persuasion Tactics

coffee-blood is rushing

throughveins

awaysleep

and you’re t h ink ing in clumps

of unsure c

. i

s r

e c

l

why: now.

why.

what?

and you think: you know you but you don’t

you’re diabolical but subject to change

you feel but you’re not

sure

about to d

r

o

p

the subject.

Denial, you swear later

when he says there’s nothing wrong about you

when he says he knows enough about you

to know

properly.

Pride, you swear later

when your heart beats faster at the thought

(that no one knows him as well as you do)

(knows what he says in parenthesis)

(knows what he doesn’t even)

you think you know better.

Art, you swear later

when your mind “assesses” his “assets”

quotations included for a masochistic kind of embarrassment

--purely art, you swear. but in truth it is

a mutual admiration.

The Fact Of The Matter is:

you are confused.

you will see him tomorrow.

you will not do—

you don’t think anymore.

but drown yourself in

coffee—drink it like it’s blood

keeps you up all night.

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