Blistered Tongue

i burnt my tongue
with melted sugar

today. the flinching
pain reminded me

of the way you taste
when you’re fresh

from a hot shower
or my favorite,

covered in salty sweat.
i felt the scorched taste

buds rise, agitated,
almost numb, but i

can’t stop running
the burn over the roof

of my mouth, pouring
salt over the sugary

wound, adding to the sharp
pain of glass in my mouth.

By Caseyrenée Lopez

Caseyrenée Lopez is a non-binary queerfemme atheist. They edit Crab Fat Magazine, TQ Review & Damaged Goods Press in an effort to platform marginalized writers/artists, particularly queer and trans folks. Their debut full-length collection, i was born dead, is forthcoming from ELJ publications in 2018. Follow them on Twitter @caseyreneelopez.