Her retro curtain clothing captures
My gaze - like an unwilling
Participant in a hypnotist show.
White merges with red:
Dustlike pink spots disappear.

I fix my stare on the door handle -
Eyeing my exit. Pupils flicker
Around the blistering frame:
Bursts reveal the exposed
Pine beneath.

As my voice rises, her head turns:
I've been trying to catch her eye.
Trying to grab hold of her wrist -
That soft spot between her watch and cuff,
Where I let my thumb wander.

He's screeching like a child -
Throwing wild accusations,
Spitting out every consonant.
I walk my hand away from his,
Stretching out my fingers.

She avoids my face: swelling,
Ugly as a tumour.
Apologises stick in my throat,
I choke on my sentences,
Spitting and spluttering.

My blood fills with rage:
Gorging my cheeks as they darken.
Independent and unruly, like a toddler
That tears about beneath my skin -
Increasing my pulse: I can't swallow.

Her beauty is still so appealing:
Caramel, chocolate and hazelnut
Coat her scalp faultlessly.
Her perfume makes me want to embrace
The fragile frame in front of me.

I pull away from his stare.
The sting against my eyes leaves
Black tears. Paint flakes
Beneath palms: I push the door open,
Shielding my make-up from the rain

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