jar of golden red jam.

i once fell into a jar of jam.
it was on the floor, down the stairs.
and i tripped.
face first
feet last.
i saw red and pink
and gold silhouettes
so bright
it made my eyes throb.
i crawled through
the stickiness
clinging to my skin
like a disease.

i swallowed it in
coughed it out
breathed it in
breathed it out.

it fought for the right
to the roots of my hair
but i refused to let it see
my naked scalp.
shaking
i looked up and saw a lid.
i swam to reach it
all the while
burdened by the jam.
it held onto my back
like a child.

i almost had it
i almost had the lid
but a hand pulled me back.
i turned around
to stare at the owner of this hand
that felt like a hook on my skin.
she cried tears of jam
as she scraped at me.

red red jam.
golden red jam.
this person
would be someone i'd never see again.
it screamed from the
depths of my hardened stomach
to wipe the jam off her forehead.
she was helpless
to the abyss.

so i let go of the lid
and cradled her.