i was the perfect kind of prey

the kind that had been eaten before

the kind that had scars

but not enough to render me inedible

just vulnerable

he was a charming sort of predator

subtle, calculated, but natural

with an unwavering hunger that could not be satiated

despite my desperate willingness to give myself away

at first, the thrill of being needed overshadowed the missing limbs

he voiced that he had trouble opening up

in time my care allowed those carnivorous jaws to gape

there is a certain vulnerability to baring one’s teeth

i took pity – it isn’t easy to admit need

to confess you can’t survive without consumption

he isn’t always like this

you don’t know him like i do.

by the time i realized this was a hunt

it was too late, i was different

defense mechanisms too can appear violent

with my incisors on display, fleeing and limping

i glanced back many times and felt a likeness

the only distinction between you and i

is that i don’t act on my appetite

i choose to starve

in the hopes that my canines will wear down enough

to do away with the cravings

so that i may open up and kiss some one

without drawing blood