Blue petals

In another life, my hand reached out to the blue petals 
because they were pretty. 

They turned into spiders 
and bit me.

Their thread-legs drawn out and wrapped around my neck. 
Their cold flame bodies
cushioned next to my chin.

I tried to scream like how 
they do in old movies. I tried to remember 
why I was here, 

but amidst the pain of the heat, 
it did not make sense.

Dale Chou
2022-07-31