MATEO X

kings highway 

you glimpsed my bare skin when i was 

cloaked in heavy garments and winked

at rainbows in my eyes when they crusted

under weighted lids. you sought to taste

my melanin as i 

         foraged for                                          

                                                                     bleach.

you took my arm as i tiptoed down the 

staircase on invisible high heels and led

me into a windowless room tucked in the 

back nook of a basement where i could,               

          slowly,

 catch my breath. you settled for a peck 

on pursed lips, knowing i had no tongue

to surrender. you cupped my hand as i ran

my finger down a blade—oozing charcoal

eyeliner and clotted mascara and violet lip

gloss that had once glazed the smile of a 

ravenous boy. you decked out my 

unperforated ears with clip-ons to complete 

the look. i faced the floor mirror, pale 

and teeming under the unflattering 

fluorescent light and felt your breeze 

easing my 

          shoulder.                      

two women sighed with relief. 

Mateo X is a writer, editor, and musician based in the DC area. His work explores power, place, and the search for connection. His poetry has recently appeared in Sunday Mornings by the River, and his debut EP The Greed is now streaming. Find him on Instagram at @iammateox.