steal your skin

I watched you from the shadows deep, Your fragile form, your dreams, your sleep. A quiet breath, a steady pulse, Your life, a thread I long to pulse. Beneath your skin, the warmth resides, A secret world where truth divides. I reach, I pull, I tear away, The flesh that hides what you won’t say. It’s soft, it smells of breath and fear, A cloak of life, of love, of tears. I slip inside, I claim the prize, A new disguise to wear, to rise. Your body trembles, unaware, As I consume what once was there. The skin that held your heart, your mind, Is now my shell, my perfect find. I wear it tight, it fits just right, A second skin that feels like night. I walk your streets, I speak your name, And none will know I am the same. Your scars, your flaws, they’re mine to keep, Your secrets, too, I’m in too deep. I’ve stolen you, but you don’t see, You walk, you live, and set me free. But in the quiet, I hear the call, Your whispered voice, your shadow’s thrall. And in your skin, I start to break, For even thieves can’t steal the ache.