Worthless

The heat of it all was unbearable

‍

so we burned our bodies first. 

became effigies of ourselves,

composed elegies, for ourselves 

we eulogized

‍

and apologized for our sins. 

I used to swallow myself whole,

I think, (a pathetic attempt at autophagy,) 

until I was encased 

in sticky membranes. a pearl 

is just expensive sediment. 

a glorified bullet 

lodged in oyster flesh. 

cover your deformities and

suture up your gaping

‍

abdominal wound. 

dilute your sorrows. 

compress your existence

into a singular point:

I’ve heard that

crushed dreams

turn to diamond

under pressure

structural integrity 

can be sacrificed 

to make for a 

quick flip—

‍

look around. 

we’ve learned to 

consume ourselves 

from the inside out, split 

a soul sometimes,

hollow it out for rent. 

As wholes

we are worth less

‍

than shells of former selves.