The candle doesn’t gulp,
it swallows these words
and leaves the room grey.
I come face to face
with Lady Lazarus
and scream,
running from the sour
breath that suffocates me.
I see my own Nick
picking blackberries
and swallowing them
by the handful.
The candle spits rays of yellow
and Lady Lazarus disappears.
© Alicia Beavis
Alicia Beavis 