Wraith

all once called you beautiful now

you are only eyes and wizzled limbs

green eyes and wizzled limbs

green eyes all pupil and you drill

for oil in my insides no stomach

of your own all once called you cruel

now you sweat urea into your hair and we

build you fortresses of feathers and felt

and our own knees your fabled swords

are more plastic than steel you haven’t

hummed your hymns in weeks you lower

your smell to mine all once called you

sturdy now you sip the colour from my freckles

and the length from my lashes but you stay

slight all once called you beautiful now

you weigh as much as music

which is to say you are as heavy

as anything we could carry home

and you are as light as anything

we could leave behind—