Published in Pure Francis July 2011

After the Umbilical Cord

Only when I am in love can I eat and not think about it.

I.

Eat like the food in your hands will freckle, melt
Or disappear in the time it takes to swallow.
Eat like it’s a game of solitaire,
And there is the possibility of losing.
Eat because you can’t talk.
A torn mouth folds up into itself.
A lukewarm mouth seasons cuts of resistance with salt.
The gears of your mouth have power. You can do
So many things. Talk, say Bless you. Please others.

When someone dies, don’t eat. Forget about it! Or eat
For him and his family. Eat for the entire world. Be afraid
There is not enough nourishment to press
Into your mouth.

II.

An open mouth says “what have you done?”
A closed mouth says “…”
An open mouth says “I can’t stomach you.”
A closed mouth eats the quotation marks.