A
      Bloody
      Mouth
      and
      Dripping
      Eyes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      thought
      things
      would
      be
      okay
      when
     
     
      he
      punched
      me
      in
      the
      mouth.
     
    

    
     
      Hard.
     
    

    
     
      Like
      he
      meant
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      of
      those
      Casius
      Clay
      left
      jabs
      that
     
     
      you
      never
      see
      coming-
     
     
      snapped
      off
      with
      purpose,
      with
      intention.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      had
      wanted
      to
      even
      things
      up,
      to
     
     
      make
      amends—
     
     
      _
      thought
      I
      could
      share
      the
      pain
     
    

    
     
      I'd
      caused
      him.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      staggered
      back,
      shocked,
      but
     
     
      relieved
      at
      the
      same
      time—
     
    

    
     
      the
      bittersweet
      blood
      slid
      to
      my
      chin.
     
     
      I
      watched
      him
      watch
      me—
     
    

    
     
      three
      feet
      away,
      but
      miles
      apart.
     
    

    
     
      His
      fist
      hurt-
     
    

    
     
      I
      could
      tell
      by
      the
      way
      it
      hung
      limp
     
     
      like
      his
      sullen
      shoulders.
     
    

    
     
      Lifeless.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      My
      lip
      wept
      as
      his
      eyes
      dripped—
     
     
      both
      of
      us
      waiting
      for
      the
      words.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      —Ryan
      Stetson
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      HC]
     
    
   
   
    
     
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