Two Poems by Joy Nibbs

A Sober Man Can Play Pretend

He takes a bottle once more

To old memories, he raises a glass

This is the last time

On his goodbye, he drinks it down

He's a sober man now

Or at least he tries to be

The drinks hold the voices back

Back to where they belong

As the past stirs

He takes another

Toasts of what should have been his last

A sober man now

Or at least he tries to be

The nightmares begin again

And a drink to wash it down

This feeling has no end

A sober man now

Or at least he tries to be

It has begun again

His fear of falling

has returned

And now there is no end

At last, he takes a bottle

And drinks it down

A sober man can play pretend

That's all he'll ever be.

I Tell Him That He's Beautiful

I tell him that he's beautiful

That his submission drives my need for something deeper

He's scared

Afraid of my demons peeking out

Ripping him to shreds

I tell him that it's okay

Let the darkness in

Dripping with desire

It curls around his soul

Marking it

His submission takes me

Under

By the lungs

I'm gasping for air that's too far gone

I drown in beautiful moments

His vulnerable side

Breaks my reason

I want to break the soul in front of me

To corrupt his innocent eyes

Let him see the world in shades of grey

Ripping him to pieces

Taking his innocence

Subjective beauty

Warps my vision

Covered in bruises

With tears running down his face

I tell him he's beautiful

Joy Nibbs has been writing poetry and short stories since the tender age of 11. Her poetry tends to cater to the darker side of the human psyche as she explores the things we wish to hide and our abandoned desires. When she isn't writing, you can find her reading, cooking, or joking around with her friends and her family.