A Small Bite

Pinned it absentminded, careless,

a flash of metal and a sudden sharp,

like a tiny betrayal in the slow stretch of the day.

The prick stayed bright,

a sting that wrote itself in the skin,

a whisper of rust on cold steel,

a small bite that felt too loud.

I pulled it out slow,

watching the drop of blood catch light,

a single red spark on my thumb.

It didn’t deserve this much attention,

just a minor cut, barely there.

But sometimes small things hurt hardest,

and leave marks you only feel

when everything else is quiet.