biting my nails,

it never fails,
to make my fingers bleed

Biting my nails,
it always prevails,
to give me what I need

My teeth are dull,
my nerves are raw,
cuticles stained red

“There’s no stopping
this relentless chomping!”
chant the voices in my head.

Can’t hold a pencil,
can’t hold a pen,
swear I’ll never chew again

Can’t wear a ring,
can’t hold your hand,
swear you just don’t understand

Chewing while I’m driving home,
chewing till I see the bone

Gnaw so hard,
I see red,
gnawing while I lay in bed

The scent of blood,
strips of skin,
tear it off
to start again