I gambled, and I’m still trying to decide
Whether I won, or
Lost.

I lost a decaying cadaver.
Let the flies and maggots
Thrive on its putrid flesh.

I thought we would last forever.
But our descent to madness
Snowballed faster than
We could stop it.

So we fell
Further and further into ourselves,
Away from each other:
Two angels, falling from Grace.

We were gladiators,
Sick to the stomach, but still slugging.
Fighting to the death,
Teeth bared, bloodied mouths,
My fragile heart caught between your jaws.

I watched in horror as you punched a hole through my chest,
Leaving me vacant — so who can blame me
For being heartless?
You suffocated me. I was forever struggling to keep my head above water.
Deadweight dragging me down.
Die and don’t dare
Resurrect and
Resurface
To ruin me again.

Daniela Sordillo is a seventeen-year-old student from the UK who writes poetry to help her make sense of herself. She is currently in the process of publishing a book of the poems she’s written in the past year entitled “Red Jacket,” available soon on Amazon Kindle. She’s obsessed with tea and make-up. Constantly tired and cold. Generally happy and smiley — sometimes not. Trying to see the beauty in everything. Loves taking selfies. Find more of her work on her DeviantArt page. Her collection of poems, Red Jacket, is now available for purchase on Amazon.

Cassoday Harder is a twenty-year-old photographer inspired by youth, femininity, and summer. View more of her work on Flickr or visit her website.