The Devil in Me Loves the Devil in You
Devilish smiles concealed under
Holy water makeup; the rouge on my cheeks
The color of sweet cherries, echoing Hell’s
Flames licking at my heels. I cringe
And watch the cat using its’ sandpaper tongue
To cleanse itself into absolution; if that
Is the price of holiness, I simply cannot
Fathom such a scourging. Label me
As you please; I will not claim to be an
Angel, nor will I claim to be a demon. Morality
Surely isn’t a black and white scale where
All I’ve been shown is hatred at the hands
Of white cuffs and found myself in the
Darkness of the night. Surely it is in the gray of
The gap of his pearled smile where I reside,
Somewhere between holy and condemned,
Mercifully mistaken as deviant
But not really.
© Ambrielle Butler
Ambrielle Butler is an emerging poet from Texas and stay-at-home mother. She started her Instagram poetry page (@a.j.butler.poetry) in October 2019 and continues to share short pieces of poetry with her 2200+ followers daily. She also has a publication with Mothers Always Write.
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