Widow's Walk

They say she waits on the widow's walk.

Watching the sea.

Hoping for his return.

Cute. Love is a myth.

The bedtime story girls get before handing them a collar.

I was given threats and bruises.

Not lullabies.

I grew teeth where innocence should've bloomed.

I've heard the fairytales.

Read the poems.

Burned them all.

They raised me to kneel.

I learned to bare my teeth instead.

They tried to tame me.

I bit back. Hard.

Pain can be turned into power.

If you're twisted enough to use it.

I wear mine like eyeliner.

...