rip yourself
from the inside out
scattered flesh
floats breezily on
entangled
in tendrils of wind

an overripe plum
hung corpulent from its branch
swinging so soft, substantial
you plucked it
and held it
and hated it
for it was you
and squeezed and squeezed
and as the sickly sweet sap ran in sticky rivers
of acid tears down your arms, you dug fiercely
to its flesh and felt
the high of release
a bloodbird flew free
erupting from your throat
where the absence of songs no longer
jarred so

and the gaping wound curled up into lips
and smiled
mend yourself
from the inside out
gathered flesh
holds grimly to life
sloppily sewn seams strain but don’t

give out.