- Cut open your chest with a dull ceremonial blade
curved perfectly to fit ghostly hands in a futile grasp at revenge.
Molten metal pours out;
beads of mercury en masse,
silently poisoning the hand they happily roll down.
Magma, shimmering water that scalds the dirt to ash
before it buries its shinning head: a statue.
Watch it seep down into the ground
through a labyrinth;
tiny civilization, tiny Daedelus
plotting his escape on jeweled wings
as heroism breaks through the defensive lines
to cast the secrets of an empire in finite gold.
An anthill cast in gold.
2. Dig it up,
a shimmering metal creature,
a coral sprigs, tendrils of metal
where intestines once were.
Iron- filled veins trap the last whisper of blood
that could not quite escape the heat in time.
Pull apart the opening in your chest
and let it crawl inside.
Watch it nestle, settle, let out a great sign.
Watch its spidery fingers url around your ribs.
Watch it smile as they crack.
Easily mended, after all, with metal joints
that hold better than brittle bone ever could.
3. Sew shut incision with embroidery floss;
reclaim the woman’s craft. Congratulations-
the piece is mounted,
the installment is ready for opening night.