remember how you had me kill
a bird? Not all at once.
You enjoy an exacting pace, I
remember. Feathers at a time.
plucked alive. learned me the
correct pressure to snap
a bone. Each bone. How to
make new knuckles. Split from toe to heel. How to
grip a pair and rip apart–
the mandibles. The wings. practiced laughing
while I do it. A harm for your happy.
my aunt and uncle are red
cardinals so I remember.
And yes, I am one of those silly gooseys.
Your tongue is a switch.
Mine was a kitten’s,
rubbed you wrong with a warm wish.
O, that yolk sunk you back then.
O, but I’m crackin eggs now.