Water Creature

arising out of the lake,

like a water-creature

ravenously hungry and

capable of ripping apart any flesh with breath

(especially one of domestic familiarity)

she peeps and screens the scene

dreadfully anticipating the slightest

error or offense

because

if in fact

a mistaken step

cacophonous sound

or outright slap should surface

she will punish

in all the ways they have told her

she dare not

why

because they signed her up to hate

every morsel, orifice and vulnerability

she can identify

at home

in herself

and around the town

as a result

somewhere along the way

she could no longer recognize

her kept quiet desire from their

artificially-activated, addict-producing want want want

though it grew larger and larger

like a cancer come to kill her

so

once a month

twelve times a year

or not nearly enough

based on your measuring apparatus

she does things no one understands

(though they understand it enough—apparently—to call her “crazy”)

like faking delirium

instead of putting up with everyone’s unconscious hysteria

screaming/singing/crying/fucking/dancing/fighting/laughing

instead of

curtsying/silencing/pretending/swallowing/lying/half-smiling

dying.

she

punishes the want

by letting loose the desire

and she bleeds

for all to shamelessly—

for all in the dehydrated/starving—

se(a)e