Let us crush broken shells in our palms

Shed Your Skin

 

When we go to bed without desire
Like a fire going out, the soul dims
Let us crush
Broken shells in our palms
 
Mangy beasts whose eyes do not blink
They make no sound, but are herd in the dark
Not mirrors, but they stare us back
Slick and black, draining charge
 
These are the long swaths
Let’s call them the months, constantly
Breaking down. Let’s acknowledge
How hard they have become
 
Total up the number of weaknesses
Of the brain. Multiply by months
Add hair loss, awelessness, laws of life
And the excruciating screen
 
Add choices for our nation of chimps
Add the heavy burden of keeping track
Multiply by desire
Divide by exhaustion
 
Eels, we gasp and slide
On our bellies over rocks
In severe spirals
When the stream is done
 
Slither, succumb
Squander time walking the planet
On Google Earth
Zero in on seashores and rooftops
 
Shed your skin there
Wander like a big cat
Without blinking
Forget count
 
In the candle flicker, lay your head in my lap
As my middle finger traces your lips
Persists through the canyon
Of your breasts