Exchange #1
by Nikki Gutierrez

                                                                                     FEAR

in your eyes when the pressure of my words struck.

                                      THE DIFFERENCE

in your posture commit to such an ungodly denial. There was no way to make you

BELIEVE THE CONSEQUENCE

of your actions had lead to this, a rift between us. Because that is all that remained, to

                                ABANDON THE ANSWER

in spite of this consuming question of our dignity, our duality to fidelity would

                                                                                   BECKON THE CALL

Of a consuming hatred or perpetuating insanity. Bereft the claim of men to the injustice

                                  OF THIS GODLESSNESS

of, the sheer desperation and need to contain and control the strings of the dolls

 WITHOUT A PURPOSE

strung along by their tethered, fitted nooses. That was me, tugged along with no

                                         DIRECT HATRED

but unwilling to accept the difference of my eyes on your skin. I didn’t intend to

                                                                                         LOVE TRAGEDY

you condemned me to that when you laughed me off as I broke apart with the thought-
                                          …It’s all we have…