Carve, God, clean, cut, and dress me. Your knife-wiped

Apron drenched to the waist in me, knot

Four lengths of string. Each act of severing

Each stroke to clean me, strip me, wash me

Exaltation. My failures, your vocation

Your ablutions, my ablation, to wrench

Rinse, rip, stitch me. You strap like a butcher

And spare like a saint. Cut four lengths, separate

Each of my ribs sawed, rubbed, and frenched I think

Was fascinating. Now each of my bones

Standing in a perfect crown — I’m just the cage

You turned inside out. I want to feel you

Rip me in and out ’til you think you

Understand. You’d think they’d understand —

So if you tie, tie it tight

Red, blue veined, pink pored, and white. Trussed

I couldn’t, I wouldn’t in that room. Free

I don’t know — I get wild