Dissection
Today, I held your heart
and wondered
at its reflection
in my chest.
How “naked” cannot describe
the naked you are
because shame does not penetrate
beneath the skin.
There will be nothing left of you
except the relationships
in my head: your nerves, muscle, and blood
leaving nothing of me
except pieces of what
I thought I am.
aphasia
1
so close
to what i want
to say
like on the tip of
the tip
of someone else’s tongue.
2
from the fish bowl
i see your lips
move back and forth
back and forth
but on the surface
not a single wave.
Gastrointestinal physiology
Already, I have forgotten
the enzymes and pathways
like the names of summer camp friends
or the film that stars that one guy.
Now, all I can recall
is when you open your mouth
there is a hole that leads
straight through you.
Delivery
Your first breath
starts the drowning.
As pressure builds
to close the heart.
Look! First,
we judge you.
On a scale of one to ten
we teach these life lessons:
More is better
but it’s best to come out screaming.