The claws rip at my heart,

tearing permanent scars,

over soft red tissue

that has only known darkness.

The teeth rip at my chest,

tearing into my flesh,

feasting upon my soul,

that has never seen the light of day.

The pain comes slowly,

a fire within my body,

my skin crinkling like paper,

fluttering away in the feeble wind.

I lay there in silence

and let myself

burn.