Ann
she/her, dragon-dog she-devil
Who are you?
I'm a blade without a handle, sharp edges and slick steel. Hold me wrong and I'll gut you open. Handle me with care and I'm your well-honed weapon. Watch your step or you'll answer to me.
I'm that woman who takes "bitch" as a compliment and raises her head high; I know that my life is worth something. There's a jacket with my name on it hanging on my bedroom door, and it's got enough spikes to hurt someone as a way of showing outsiders that I'm safe to be around.
The True Name
A storm cloud, the sea in the sky,
the prickling of static on your arms,
pomegranates,
little red dresses and wineglasses,
bat wings folded down and away,
the crown held high;
a ragged battlejacket in a riot,
raised fists, a shout of red,
conviction and the scent of leather,
the pounding of blood in your ears
and smoke on your tongue.
The Right Eye
The queen perched on the edge
of a throne, ruffles and velvet
bleeding from her lap
with a glass held aloft,
blood swaying and spilling
rust under her nails
little smears down her neck
a tip of the wrist
Plunge your fist through the window
and watch the shards scatter
like mice from a trap;
as a thousand warm voices
burrowed into your throat, they ask:
where did the window go
when it broke across the floor?
what home have we made here from
your bones?
take the little ones in your hands
full of legs and antennae and mirror-eyes and wings
crushing, mangled and crusted under your fingernails
guts pouring down your chin
and there's chitin stuck in your lips like eating glass.
Also known as:
- The Queen of Fire
- Janus
- Our Lady in Red
