On Your Knees Then
By Alice Briselden Waters
Darling please,
You could never love me
Low on capacity
Squeaky clean
No snake oil
Unavailable to lubricate my depth
Darling please,
You could never love me,
You have not been brought to your knees enough times in this lifetime
To honour every single one of mine
Darling please,
You could never love me
Desire has not taken you by the throat and had you choked
You have never attended a single funeral for yourself
It is much easier for you to secure another of my death’s
Simple men, steal my breath
Darling please,
You could never love me
To think you would get me to the altar
To all that is holy
Thou shalt not marry me
The only ceremony
We will be wed in
Is one where you
Speak my eulogy
Darling please,
You could never love me
I smelt boredom in your blood
Begged you baby “Anoint me with your mediocrity”
To the uninitiated, I know I appear as profanity
Darling please,
You could never love me
I need fresh blood
Blunt love, won’t do
Can’t break skin
Or even
Scratch the surface
Of the soul within
Darling please,
You could never love me
Do I scare you?
Do I remind you of the depths of yourself that you have not met?
Terminate us but you cannot hide
My ugly is yours, baby, I just lost my pride
Darling please,
You could never love me
Expect me to conform
When I bless thee with fruits of transformation
If you’re nauseous now
That’s vital information
You won’t be able to stomach this verse
Darling please,
You could never love me
How sweet
You thought you ever had a choice
Did I make you choke on your limitations, baby?
Have you lost your voice?
Darling please,
You could never love me
I laugh with god
wind in the trees
How I led myself to believe
You could ever
Live up to the deed
Darling please,
You could never love me,
I Manifest dead ends
Rip up roots for rebirth
Freedom in the pain
That I am unlovable again
No man can ever contain
The sting of this water
And the fullness of my name
Darling please,
You could never love me
You have not been brought to your knees enough times in this lifetime
But expect me to get on mine
Be in service to your shallow
When I am an ocean
And you sir are a just a puddle
Darling please
You could never love me,
I only get on my knees for deity
A God you could only ever imagine to be
You were not even half the man you promised me
Darling, please
You could never love me
Requested a good girl
Summoned a whore
I need a God
A vessel that handles insatiable
When I ask for more
Darling please,
You could never love me
Madness in desire
Do it all over
Forget myself to death
I only live for your breath
To fall
And rise
In my power
Oh darling please,
You could never hurt me
You do not know the realms I’ve ruled
All the names I have been called
How it should be
You worshipping me
On your knees
Kneeling at the altar
Of all of me
Priestess dripping from your lips