misdirection

you had me

at

hello.

your voice was

sugar,

but as i

learned later

on,

sweetness

can

be artificial.

conversation

came easily,

but there

was always

a

smidge

of malice,

a need

to

gossip,

using

your words

to cut

others

up like

knives.

you

blindfolded

me,

spinning

lies and misdirection

into a

glistening

spider's

web.

you

abandoned

me,

for

someone

'better'

but made

sure to

leave

your

mark.

sometimes

i lie

awake

at night,

your

acrid

giggles

bouncing

around my mind,

haunted

by

that

fateful

greeting.