WILTING WITH by Ross Durrence

The black was thick
The brown you wish
The candle wick
The flame you lick

A scar you love
A mark the burn
A place it maps
A hot return

You breathe in dust
You choke on chalk
You feed the flame
You offer flesh

I pity you
I bellow blue
I touch the air
I slaughter you

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Ross Durrence is a tortured Atlanta sports enthusiast who considers Franz Kafka his greatest literary influence. His work has appeared in Slippery Elm, Winamop, The Literary Yard, and The Bactrian Room.