Spilled Oil
by Kelli Lage
Spilled oil seeps into my veins
I cough out exhaust.
Her scales weep
for they’d rather breathe in fire.
You drink from the springs,
and become ravenous for moments passed.
I can taste these days in the back of my throat.
The sun burns for those who weep.
We put on the charade of slumber
when midnight stalks by,
hoping its shadows don’t spot us.
Tremors laced into silk robes.
The fallen howls stick to my skin like molasses.
In another life, I’d dived into the candied pool.
Dust falls from my eyes.
Beyond the gritty window, I see the ghost
of my many selves swooped up by ravens.
With each drop of sweat,
I free them and all they stood for.
I cough out exhaust.
Her scales weep
for they’d rather breathe in fire.
You drink from the springs,
and become ravenous for moments passed.
I can taste these days in the back of my throat.
The sun burns for those who weep.
We put on the charade of slumber
when midnight stalks by,
hoping its shadows don’t spot us.
Tremors laced into silk robes.
The fallen howls stick to my skin like molasses.
In another life, I’d dived into the candied pool.
Dust falls from my eyes.
Beyond the gritty window, I see the ghost
of my many selves swooped up by ravens.
With each drop of sweat,
I free them and all they stood for.
Kelli Lage lives in the Midwest countryside with her husband, and their dog, Cedar. She is currently earning her degree in Secondary English Education. Some of her awards include Special Award for First-time Entrant and Lyrical Iowa. She states she is here to give readers words that resonate.