Thursday, July 28, 2011

Mollusks

I spent my winter cracking my shell,
unwrapping some ropes
and letting a little light shine.
Far too long
I'd been an asshole,
closed my ribs up like a mollusk
brined and burning.

I'd slobbered a selfish frenzy,
loved my own lies,
gouged out my own eyes
with my own filthy fingertips
and crawled laughing through bedroom windows.

It was time, I felt
for a little innocence
to melt the ice of my eyes,
a little trickling compassion
to do right.
But goddamn,
see if I ever try that again.

At the sight of that first fissure
Hands were upon me
I was taken a fool
a crowbar into the heart
Pried open like an unripe scallop,
swallowed like a raw oyster,
left my shells to be groud
into gravel and chicken feed.

So I'm cinching the armor again,
a slow process
like drawing a bow
a painful rebirth
into this hardened thing
I'd buried
like a casket.

And the armor will be tighter this time,
hell, smothering.
Retreat, boys.
This fucker's gonna eat us alive.

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