i am creeping in the darkness
just out of your sight
waiting to
catch you,
ensnare you,
in my trap.

(“they die in stages,”
whisper the
friends/families/lovers left behind.)

 i reel you in—
these bittersweet words and
awful-beautiful promises
make you believe in
heinous magic.

(“i knew,”
some say brokenly,
as they stare into your coffin.
“but there was no stopping it.”
others merely stare in
horror
because they still don’t believe it.
because they believed in you.)

you make excuses
three times a day and
they believe you
until it’s too late. 

(“i watched her fade away.”
“she never told me.”
“i thought he was okay. he seemed fine!”
“she swore she would stop.” 
can you hear them call to you now?)

 you dream
       waste
       fade 
       away.  
just like i asked.

 (your leftovers are crying at your funeral now.)

you whittled yourself into a toothpick,
and then you broke.