Authors Note: This is about cycles of hurt and the weird messy destructive form that love can take when you’re hurting. the ancient greek is from iliad book 22, as is the title + the wolves/lambs comparison.

snap and whine with ears flat and teeth bared. submission 
often looks a lot like violence when you’re backed into a corner and begging, 
so I forgive you for attacking first.
I look for the hunger in your eyes and see nothing. raw – 
dig out my liver with your talons and come again tomorrow. regrown –
I’ll leave the door unlocked. next time, bite down on the softness
until it scars, but let the trembling fawn-legs buckle anyway.
there are no covenants between wolves and lambs, except
ὠμηστὴς, eating-flesh-raw: would that I have your liver between my teeth. fear 
looks a lot like anger when there are canines sinking into your throat, 
but sometimes it looks like desire.