Long Burn She rolled in slow through a truckstop glow Chrome heat bending off her throat White tank stuck to a summer sweat Like the night hadn’t cooled her yet Bootheels ticking on busted tile Like they’d been there for a while Cherry mouth, half-bit grin Like she knew what room she was in She said “Got a light?” I flicked it once, too close Burned my thumb on the ghost of smoke She leaned in anyway Didn’t blink Neon buzzing through cracked glass hum Like something breathing under tongue The vending machine kept dropping change Like it liked the sound of things arrange You’re that long burn, slow in my chest Buttoned wrong on a Friday dress Got me leaning like a hinge gone soft Like a door that forgot what it lost You get in my skin like denim left wet Like teeth on a cigarette And every word you let fall through Splits me into three of you One in the mouth One in the heat One under where my thoughts repeat Girl you don’t leave, you just disperse Long burn curse Outside, the night was tight on glass Like it didn’t want us to pass You rolled ice slow in your drink Fingertips tracing the rim to think Then your knee hit mine under the rail Light pressure, slow derail The booth went quiet in its own way Like it knew what bodies say I moved my hand and didn’t move it back You didn’t look down at that Ice clicking like a locked-up prayer Your laugh cutting straight through air Like a zipper pulled in a darkened room Like something learning what it can undo You’re that long burn, slow in my chest Buttoned wrong on a Friday dress Got me leaning like a hinge gone soft Like a door that forgot what it lost You get in my blood like motel steam Like sheets that don’t stay clean And every word you let fall through Splits me into three of you One in the mouth One in the heat One under where my thoughts repeat Girl you don’t leave, you just disperse Long burn curse By closing time the ice is gone Glass still sweating where it sat too long You lean in close and don’t lean back Your breath keeps time on my collar slack Your hand stays there when it shouldn’t stay Nobody moves it away You’re that long burn, no cooling off Soft bite left in the cough Got me wired like a loose outlet hum Like a body that forgot where it’s from You get in my chest like undone seams Like motel sheets and overheated dreams And every time I think I’m through I end up split into you One in the mouth One in the heat One under where my thoughts repeat Girl you don’t leave, you just disperse Long burn curse
