hands as safe as his
the earth is nothing but paint and sawdust--nothing but bruised hands cradling mine
his smile coaxes out the snow in December, a smile my heart refuses to forget
hands as tender as a lover
the mouth of a goddess spilling blood, lies and smoke trapped in January's cunt
Lies that stab at her chest, a sacrificial love
hands as misplaced as the rain
sin blushes in the face of February
secrets suffocate under dirty mattresses
hands as silently violent as the ocean
hollow bones reverberate confessions of unborn babies--unborn mistakes!
stairways lead us to March; stairways that should never be traveled alone
hands as dry as a headache
years that pass by on crows wings; the shallow breaths she takes leaves her with a mouth full of feathers
compressions and broken ribs rain down in April
hands as hopeful as hearts fluttering in chests
May spreads her legs again as her blood runs cold; tears shower down her heart
washing her soul in sadness--he calls out to her, she recedes further, holding her gaze somewhere far and away
hands as absent as empty houses
vices remain paralyzed in falling snowing and tightened skin
June holds the heart of a dying bird
hands as bruised as a strangled throat
Her breath exhales in rhythm with a bird; July hides in the mouth of a killer
She stares back through the mirror with bloody teeth
hands as anxious as tea kettles
August requires no other name, whether waking or dying, the house is ruled under the aftermath
The bird does not sing until night fall
hands as naive as a child
we stretched ourselves to limits thought unreachable
yet our eyes failed to see farther than September's warm embrace
hands as eager as brush strokes
I imagine her name to nestle in the womb of October
Dark almonds cradle in the pit of a stomach
hands as unearthly as a ghost
tongues and hands circle through city streets--alone, so very alone
He fades out slowly as November consumes all that is already dead
inspired by Anne Sexton.
