14 ways

sometimes I love you so much
I want to
squeeze you till you pop
pluck your grey hairs one by one
set them on a black velvet cloth
and braid them into a fine, shiny
rope to wear around my neck
dig out your ears, pick your nose, pare your toenails
and eat the clippings
bury my face in your dirty laundry
inhale
spring on you in a dark hallway
press you to the floor and
tickle you till you beg for air
bite your knees
scrape my nails along your back
to raise my initials in red jagged welts
pinch the pimples on your ass
open your mouth on a morning
when you've forgotten to brush
your teeth the night before
sniff
erase the freckles from your arms
to see what's underneath
tweak your nipples till they pout upwards
brush my stubbly chin across them
kiss you

--Vance Briceland

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