Darkness That bites

Nomad at seventeen, what world
Have you entered crossing the line
Between solidity and strife
Tossing aside those safe crutches
And that’s the problem, they tell you…
Such withdrawal from all you know
Broken ties, lost names, memories
Floating in once in a while
When your teeth are on the concrete
And blood seeps from your stigmata,
Your head pounds, something stabs inside
And you recall who you once were,
With faces of ones you once knew,
Until you’re on your flight again
Falling down to darkness that bites.

WK Lawrence is the author of the novel The Punk and the Professor. He holds an MFA from the Southampton Writers' Program and a doctorate in education from Northeastern University. Born and raised in New York, he has also lived in Oregon, Virginia, Florida, and Rhode Island. He currently lives in North Carolina, teaches writing at NC State University, and directs the NC State Young Writers' Workshops.