In the city
scars fall upon us without warning

through debilitating accidents

acrimonious attacks
and love

And to feel better in the morning 

we are reborn 

through self-hate 

and an impossible escape
to another love

Left screaming at the gods for inventing pain 

we continue sharpening our blades
and blaming ourselves
and that love

But I believe we are blessed with the inner reflexes for initiation
to gain scars 

I believe our humanity asks us to be torn

and shattered and graced with razors...

The brain is a muscle and muscles must be damaged to grow strong

"that which does not kill me..."

we’ve known that old adage for so long

so scar
but rip your wound so open so wide
you walk as if inside out
so your heart sits on top of your ribcage proud
and is no longer just worn on one of your sleeves

every now

and then kid me with your kidneys
become known as a liver
wear your guts like a scarf
so you’re never known to shiver
deliver your soul
so you don’t need to speak it
you just draw diagrams with your diaphragm and lungs
so your stance handsomely lands upon the tips
of their tongues

Scar
get your guilt amputated
precious pretences surgically removed

jealousies scalped
so your intestine’s true intentions shine and protrude

Prove your intelligence with your skeleton
a bone through the nose
so they know that what you know 

lives in your bones and it shows

use your own skin to make a drum to beat
your hair the strings on mandolins to make it strum and sing of your
Scar until you’re covered in scratches
until the scratches get so dense you’re covered in patterns 

then scratch at the patterns until there’s no space in between 

until you’re so covered in scars that it looks 

like you’re clean

Then scar your pages with your stationery
but don’t you dare stay stationary
move
leave track marks on every page you choose to lay your

scars