"Poison" by Len Harrison

Photo by Adrien King on Unsplash

I once knew two girls who savored poison.

The last time we met was years ago,

But I hear they haven’t changed.

They drank it down like it was saccharine on their lips,

And pleasing to their tongues.

I watched them lick every last drop,

Letting it trickle down their throats;

As bitter as asphalt and as thick as tar.

I suppose it tasted like honey to them.

They thought it was the food of gods,

That it would turn their blood to hot ichor,

But poison will not warm you,

It will only make you colder.

I once knew two girls who hated rain.

They looked at it like the sky was sinning.

I was with them when the rain came down in ropes,

It tasted like nectar on my lips,

And sweet sugar on my tongue.

I remember how they stood and watched me,

With poison drenched in their ears, eyes, and mouths,

While I felt the rain cleanse my soul.

I once knew two girls who savored poison

Drink it enough times and you’ll make it so.

The last time we met was years ago,

But I hear they haven’t changed.

I suppose it still tastes like honey to them,

Though it has always been poison in their cups.

Now a sophomore at the Waynflete School in Portland, Maine, Len Harrison has enjoyed writing poetry since the second grade. When not writing, Len can be found reading, learning languages, and walking the coast of Maine.