Dreaming Quetzalcóatl

I ate the fruit to calm my hunger.

It was a persistent thing,
  this hunger. Waxing rhapsodic, once
  and then raging like a fiery typhoon
  burning my insides, scraping
  within my skull, hollow, echoing
  sibilance, pain—

So I began to eat the words. All of them
cramming parchment and papyrus into my
greedy mouth chewing to pulp
swallowing as I wished to be swallowed
consuming devouring to fill my empty soul
my aching head—

almost speaking in tongues
forked like tasting divinity being touched
by the sun blistering—

It hurt to not know. It hurts
to know. It burns stripes
in my skin, boils my blood
a murmur, a knife in my spine—

I imagine you slithering your way around
my body consuming me. I want
the poison from your fangs I want
the ecstasy of your existence I want
to be one with you.

So I sit sick-silent sibilant and severe
listening to the whispers in my skull
cramming technicolor feathers into my
mouth grinding chewing not once
coughing.

Raul Meza lives in Southeast Los Angeles and has a BA in English with emphases in Literature and Creative Writing from CSU Long Beach. Currently, he is working and writing a novel while in a graduate program for English Literature. His poetry has been published in Abandon Journal and Milestone. He can also be found on Instagram: @rawllawl.