Laura was thirsty

Allison Solano

The rain redoubled.

The night shivered.

The god whispered in my ear:

Believe everything.

And

I

laughed.

Laughed with joy and delight, not madness.

until I could laugh no more

until I hung too exhausted to move

until the tiny invisible wounds that covered me.

(infinite and unbearable)

opened

and maggots crawled out delicately tasted, and danced upon my

weathered skin

I opened to mouth to taste the rain.

And with this taste upon my tongue

I saw into divinity.

gripping the mane of my eagle-headed tiger i fall into a rusty tango my eyelids the color of opium and my heart the flavor of a dance floor the glory enrapturing me with citrus chloroform i see the world with kaleidoscope eyes its fervor and its heat dilates my senses until i am left with watered down vinegar in screams i swear i slice thick veins in my thighs

Latin boys lay hands and whisper: Why don’t you believe?

.

.

.

The rain stopped.

The night held still.

And the god

did not speak.