For the Nefarious
By Mai Der Vang
From a recessed hollow
Rumble, I unearth as a creature
Conceived to be relentless.
Depend on me to hunt you
Until you find yourself
Counting all the uncorked
Nightmares you digested.
I will let you know the burning
Endorsed by the effort of
Matches. And you will claw
Yourself inward, toward a
Conference of heat as the steam
Within you surrenders, caves
You into a cardboard scar.
Even what will wreck you
Are your mother’s chapped lips.
Even to drip your confession
Of empty rooms. I know about
Your recipe of rain, your apiary
Ways. Trust me to be painful.
Source: Poetry (July/August 2017)