vice

Sarah Norton

I’ve grown close to her
she sits inside my ribs
like a sparrow trying to escape the confines of a cage
but my bones are too hard
she cannot break free
the pain of her pulling my insides apart
sits heavily inside of me
she whispers in my ear
things I am forbidden to reveal
she spreads herself among the tips of my fingers
pulling them back from reaching out to you
she makes a bed of my tongue
taking winter hibernation
too heavy to lift
so I let her sit on my words
she likes me to keep my mouth shut
she crawls behind the sockets of my eyes
pushing my tears with the palms of her hands
carefully crafting each drop
like building a snowman
she crawls around me
as if I am her home
the older I become
the more she becomes alive
discovering I can no longer free myself of her
like a hostage
she holds me
clinging on for dear life