the boy’s eyes had fallen out of his head

tumbled into the corner to his left—but he could not see

a woman came in

crawling on her hands and knees—she had no feet

she reached out to hold the boy when

a man came in

saw the eyeless boy and footless woman

asked them how he could help

hearing nothing—nothing—

the man left

the woman, still holding the boy, saw the

man’s ears wilting in the opposite corner

já revisto

today i am a desert of unmoored islands

Together is the name of my latest late imaginary friend

Mami’s message on saturday morning says we need a dozen eggs

dos libras de chicken feet and more salsa from foodcity

also, that she’s considering—

i forget how to count and lie on the ground

their derision insistent—

you try standing on severed legs

down here, the lilacs smile back

pretend is not a game when

each breath sounds like a lullaby with heavy eyelids

& the door out fades

think happiness as in forgiveness—

then, drown in each other’s bone marrow

& say it tastes of air

she calls to say te quiero

last night i dreamt my sister’s body had a gash the size of four fists

within, just behind purple ribs and across from her wild heart

an implanted monitor sat beeping like cracked knuckles

flashing read-outs in jeringoza i hadn’t bothered to learn

so i added to the list of secrets we keep on blood thinners and

woke up to find mourning precluded, cauterized mid-vivisection

humor turned inside-out