Thursday, August 27, 2015

The Paradox: on Aching





The Paradox:  on Aching


Of course it doesn’t start out this way,
pain in salt-stiff-salt-strong knots, in the muscle
then bone of pelvis, the electric search for a spot
it can curl into and lathe a name for itself.

Consider: bark, when stripped, is an idle
dog in the slim shade of a bare oak root at two
in the afternoon.  Her throb is in the meat
of her jowl, her twitch when a hand gets magnet

close, enough to suck it down or shove it completely
away.  Both with a growl.  Both with teeth.
She’s at the length of the chain, brained
(nearly) for the stain near the door, the late

key, the wait, the wait, hold it hold it but finally,
in the end it spills out pinched and dry, the sulfur
the kilned salt of pain.  Not her fault.  She wasn’t

the one as went away.  So shit on you.  Shit.
On.  You.  If you want to place blame, get the hell out.
If you don’t, touch the dog.  She’s not
asleep.  



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