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