Moonflower​

Inner city baby 
All dressed up in black
A half past one
In a booth to the back  
Liquor in our veins 
Demons on her mind
Eyes painted words
Her mouth had yet to find

Truant theist
New vices for a creed 
Tangled under me
Her incubus freed 
But only temporary 
Her past still haunted
Delusions and daydreams
Is all she wanted

Raucous whispers
Lingering cigarette smoke
She shattered the mirror
Honesty makes us choke
Blood drips as I run
Into the dry winter rain
Aspirations for any but this
I hope to never meet her again

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Nani Neal
was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Despite earning a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, her love of writing never left her. As a Black creative, she frequently
writes pieces exploring themes of race and femininity, where she is able to turn personal and systemic trauma into art. She is currently located in College Station, Texas, working on her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering.

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