to the boy who called himself an athiest

what must kill you the most is that you know this

to the boy who called himself an athiest
Photo by Egor Myznik / Unsplash

by Kathryn Willoughby


how much do you ache on the darkest of nights —
no notifications from your hot girls
no alcohol on your blistered lips
loneliness blooming from your skin like poison ivy?

you call yourself a stallion,
but when you sleep alone you know you are only an empty stable.

someone as beautiful as you deserves to be more than a lifeless narcissus.
what must kill you the most is that you know this
and yet, you can’t stop bowing your sorry knees to your empty reflection.

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we all have gods.


Kathryn Willoughby is a queer poet and future librarian living in Baltimore, Maryland. They love Nick Carraway and their cat.