Hurts

written and illustrated by Lilith Noah

today's a day where it hurts

i see her in my teeth, she is

the only ivory part left in rotting gums, she

is supposed to be blissful but

only hurts as tooth meets flesh. maybe it's because

pain always reminds me of healing so

i press my nails into my palms and count to three

or ten, leave half-moons on my skin,

a signature of grief.

if only i could

separate the healing from the hurting

like white from yolk maybe

my gums would stop bleeding but

the egg is as scrambled as my brain and

the beauty and the pain

mix in the frying pan.