The Halo Effect

a beautiful monster.

an angelic ghost,

meeting a curious soul.

diamonds in his eyes as my heart flies

out of my chest and into his hands.

lips kiss it slow and kind,

am I wrong to imagine if they bite?

monsters hide in the dark and under beds,

but this one lies in mine with a halo over his head.

my sheets are softer, my dreams dreamier,

yet my pillows are daggers compared to his chest.

i’m bare under his wings,

his hand a string of pearls around my neck.

are monsters supposed to hold you even when you’re imperfect?

he kisses my acne like it’s porcelain,

divine lips on fragile skin.

better judgement buries my feet in soil,

but he takes my heart with him

between the Earth and heaven.

did my body die or sanctify?

now a red star in white skies, I find rest

in the presence

of a beautiful monster,

an angelic ghost.

Strike Out,

Erick Matosinho

Edited by: Delaney Gunnell and Arsheeya Garg

Erick Matosinho is a Staff Writer for Strike Magazine Orlando. A senior at UCF majoring in Business Communications with a minor in Writing and Rhetoric and a Brazilian Studies certificate, Erick blends his passion for storytelling and creating with his Brazilian-American background. Beyond writing, he loves to model, swim, and drink coffee! Anything that will help him with his aspirations to change the world… or become a stay-at-home novelist who knows. You can connect with him on Instagram @_erixk.m_ or through his email matosinhoerick.irms@gmail.com