Spirits

Did you know you were a spirit?

A fermented grain mash
made from dark rye fields and
wheat that steals moisture from tongues,
distilled through rusted pipes and
left to age in the casks of me.
A 25 year old drink meant to
bite and numb.

Did you know you were a spirit?

A holy one that I praised like a god,
a light casted over me
guiding me through every bit of darkness
that wasn’t given by you as a challenge.
Something that turned my stale bread into nourishment.

Did you know you were a spirit?

One that slips into the cracks of my bones
and strings me like a marionette,
makes me utter words I never thought I could say
let alone believe.
One that shaves my tongue into a dagger
sharp enough to pierce the foundations of every heart that touched mine.

You are a vengeful spirit
A product of the unholy
Seeking to damn your maker
only to damn us both.