Knife's Edge

the tattoo on her eyebrow frowned at the sight of yesteryear’s cutlass the well-rounded blade had become blunt dull and worn down from overuse and yet straight to the point of salvation the pain cut unceremoniously deep like a double-edged sword that protracted the kill in anticipation of slicing from a lacerated mind saw teeth serenaded an ode to demise one more incision and the blood flow would take her across the river of tears lacerated dreams punctured and carved into her epitaph a forgone pleasant conclusion the point of no return loomed un-capriciously her wounds had festered in purulent beauty and she appealed to her inner resolve why prolong the inevitable release and she was calm with no tremor as she faced the extinction of terror her glance fell upon the scalpel next to the toothbrush and lather and the mirror liked what it saw cracked glass a few shards missing a borrowed fantasy and reflection of a bloody life unwanted as she pondered upon what message to inscribe on her tombstone the shower curtain ready for a last splash cheered her on ‘don’t you worry’ ‘I’m easy to clean the mess will abide’ grout bleach and tiles lured a whitewash and the toilet brush smiled in applause cacophonous bristles caked in foul smell took her closer to the crappy memories which had darkened a life not worthy of living and she let out a flatulent moan ultimate and terminal the fizz pounced and she gripped the rapier with surgical precision and intricate joy then Occam’s razor pleaded for parsimony and she went back to self-laceration prolonged suicide suited agony’s hurt much better than a knife in her heart 17th May 2021 Knife’s Edge Poetry Contest Sponsored by Edward Ibeh