a long term cure for paronychia

we linger on your hangnails,
preparing to be chewed away.
i want you to dip me headfirst
into paraffin wax, but don’t let
me drown, just let me soften you
up enough to hold my hands.
i’m tired of your bleeding;
cauterize that wound and let
the scar tissue begin to build,
leaving its mark in red then white,
a line to trace when i tire of your
body, ready for bed where we can
origami our fingers into unfamiliar
intimacy, coming easier every day
we forget every moment that came
before now.