it runs under my skin
like blue green fire runs along the surface
of charcoal logs it has consumed –
silent, wickedly hot, and hungry,
hungry for more of me
even after I placed everything I had
in the offering flames;

say nothing
show nothing
keep going as if it never hurt,
because it won’t make a difference if it did –
consequences don’t exist like that for them;

say nothing because
they’ll use it against you
show nothing for the same reason;
we bear their consequences.