Woven into His Collar

My mother warned of a monster / who loved to play hide and seek / with his prey / said / you won’t notice when / he pulls up in tinted windows / sunglasses / skids to a halt / sparks the air cold / with his cologne / when we left the city / drove / hundreds of kilometers / for a romantic getaway / there were hornets / woven into his collar / the sweet decay of honey / Dior / sweat / my mother / warned of an oracle / prophesied / a swath of black flies / scissored mandibles / that would feast / draw blood / like tarot cards / said / when he bleeds / you’ll see how quickly / love can take you by the neck / and snap it / like stale bread / you’ll clutch / onto the first time / he dove into the daffodil / of your lips / how you wanted / nothing / but the sun to witness / his slow descent / into the unmarked crevices / of your body / how you wanted him / to do the unthinkable / wrap his arms around your shoulders / and caress


Michael Russell (he/they) is the author of chapbook Grindr Opera (Frog Hollow Press). He’s queer, has BPD, Bipolar Disorder and way too much anxiety. His work has appeared in Contemporary Verse 2, Heavy Feather Review, SICK Magazine among other places. He lives in Toronto and thinks you’re fantabulous. Insta: @michael.russell.poet