Published August 10, 2026
here i am, left hoping i find it in myself to forgive
all the scars that are left on this vestal corpse.
purity made of ash, (these hands are left darkened with soot)
and you know that i am desecrated.
your hands cup my ribs as i mumble from the deathbed--
i am telling you to touch gentler, to love without violence.
we both know you won't. this is all that man can be, you will say.
the blood that burns into my skin is the tether that binds us,
it proves we are carnal. infatuated with sin--
and yet all i may do is submit myself to your lust.
i have no power over those who snap my wings and burn the feathers--
i must accept any offerings-- your hands over my lips,
the blood you smear from my wounds, or the spittle you bestow upon me
as you tarnish my name at the altar--
you are well aware i will submit to benefaction.
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138,507 Literary Works • 672,145 Reviews
from my lms thread, sunlit linen & wine-stained fingertips
hi herb. Here with KOTGR and Team Tortoise. Your description of this piece caught my my eye and so here we are.
I keep going back and forth about this stanza. On the one hand, the paradox of it can be effective, but on the other Im not sure that using vestal and purity really works? I think the middle line is what's hanging me up because purity made of ash doesnt click for me. Maybe it's saying the MC has been corrupted into the same thing as their abuser, so their body may be pure but they are not. idk. It's not incredibly clear and thus I think not as effective as it could be.
Now this part i love. This is a concise and visceral way ro show that the abuse leaves traces and causes pain that will never be taken away fully, physically and metaphysically.
Bestow is an interesting choice of words. In some ways it feels demeaning and dominating, but it also is a lot gentler of a verb than smearing, and im not sure that's a good thing.
ewwww.
I didnt think this poem would be comfortable or enjoyable, and sure enough it conveys a toxic relationship well. I also think it is also an incredible example of how wrong attraction can go. I wish more people within these walls were able to see that this isnt love, it's possessive control and just. But I do understand to a degree why vulnerable people can feel more comfortable in bad situations than in being solo.
I'm not sure how to end this review but to say I hope anyone who reads it knows that love can be hard but not in this way. It's life that is hard and can make us forget to keep loving each other actively instead of taking it for granted. Everyone deserves better.
~Messy
Hello herb! Saw you in the Green Room and wanted to check out your work
Great word!
Such a vivid image.
Powerfully gut-wrenching line!
This poem was outstanding while being heartbreaking! The powerlessness and resign to perceived fate is infuriating, sad, and yet, I can also understand and see it as well. I found myself asking why? WHY do they HAVE to accept it? Who told them this was the only way? This poem brings up those emotions and questions while also feelings of kinship. That is talent in my opinion. Great job here. Thanks for sharing!