Sticky syllables
Forever tattooed on my skin
Detailing my misgivings
And regretting my sins
Nostrils dripping deep crimson
And knuckles grasped ghost white
Trembling calloused fingers
Decaying corpses under fluorescent light
Physical flaws
Etched in ink
Telling the story
Of shoved off the brink
Not necessarily
Concealing the scrapes and scars
But caressing them
And guarding my heart
Dried salty streams
On blushing cheeks
And bloodshot retinas
Revealing me weak
Sickly sweet compliments
Bitter to the taste
It's not that I gave up hope
I never had any in the first place
