the morning after combat

watching you sleep to switch places
a painted swollen foot, blood lip
I sank beneath the weight of your left leg, arm, cheek
breathed in the dust a bit
open your lips a crack, make sleep sounds
the smoke still lingers there
catch you when you jump down
as a girl to the ground, riding out the air

I fight with my wrists up
my neck up, to the sky
I tiptoe to my side
I smile across these battle lines

while we were hazy, I unbuttoned your shirt
you awoke to the quake of a bomb
peeled out of bed to watch write smoke blink survive
I carted my eyes right along
we gave up on the same hour
lay lips pressing cheeks pressing thighs, pressing hair
it's like a game & when you sleep
you close one eye more than the other
suffocate under there

I fight with my wrists up
my neck up, to the sky
I tiptoe to my side
I smile across these battle lines

I don't know how you can sleep through disaster out your window
my kisses on your shoulder
but it seems so healthy, spread jaw pressed cheek
all of the noise that bangs our bodies - they topple over
it's easy to fight this war: we lay in the dark
I am the whore, too easy to be had
you are the damsel. you're my opposing side
casualty count's not all that bad