Inspired by The Wolfman by George Waggner.

A weeping bell, you sing a purple moon,

each note a poison arrow buried

in the hearts of liminal howls. I drink

the bite of your kiss, a gentle murder.

Even a man, especially a wolf…

The woods unravel, each shadow

a crushing avalanche. My lungs, these

trees. You bloom against prayer, a thorn

in my tongue, a star in my palm.

Always a woman, forever a curse…

I choke on closed-casket petals, my faith

a ruin. This cathedral, those tracks, I search

my hands numb, skin wax. Eating the heart,

you attack what’s left: bone, fur, two yellow eyes.

Permanently a monster, sometimes a god…