Hellbender

Emily Noe

Water moves not as fluid as you my lady of death strangle me with shoelace in hand while your black nails dig into my neck lodging themselves in my throat

I smile your amber eyes glisten in the night

I see them perfectly from under rippling water a cross-hatch of your reflection

Repeating and repeating Hush Hush shut the fuck up the ties are already too hard to cut

I was so happy caged with you and somehow still happy as you murder me under cool April sky full moon and star splattered the inverse of your white blouse with my oxidized blood finally, I begin to gag expel the emotions I have suppressed for so long

I thrash under frigid water silt kicks up in my eyes blind to your actions one final time before water floods my nostrils and rushes into my still lungs