I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

by Marisa Crane

What I mean is, it never once occurred to me that you, too, were mortal.

If I had to choose, I would say the moment between when you decided to kiss me and when we actually kissed, that is where I wish to live forever. Inside my anticipation, dying to receive you.

Had she been paying attention, she would have known it hadn’t happened overnight, that it took a million tiny stabs to bleed democracy dry.