we had fangs in the beginning

snapping our jaws on words

and names that cracked our teeth

and turned our lips red.

but we’re older now and

our teeth have been filed down.

we chew slowly

on what we used to swallow whole.

we knew it wouldn’t be easy

but if we’d known it would be this hard

we might’ve stopped where we started.

might’ve saved ourselves some broken hearts,

some fists through walls.

but the grind keeps grinding

and we run in our sleep

from the monster called

growing up.