i swallowed it

Small dark sliver
of glossy black
pulled from a crack
in the sidewalk

Strange, it seemed
a living liquid thing
in my hand,
silently singing
its siren song,
too lovely
to ignore.

A swift slip
down my throat
and the heat of it
settled and spread
in my belly,
filling me up
with a hollow
need.

From ache to pain
this gnawing swells
so quickly I can
hardly breathe,

and I try to quell
the panic as I cannot
help but wonder
just exactly

what

might satisfy
this hunger.