I Feel Therefore I Am

More than a freshly cut
bundle, more than a bonfire
burning in a field
across the highway, I am

all emotion: no bones,
tendons, skin left.
Everything touches
the raw side—ecstatic

tears, smiles
through grief. I can’t
tell the difference
between my own

laughter, sobs,
orgasms. It’s all

release,

it’s all that’s left,
it’s all I’ve ever been.

October Grief

Dust in a machine,
overheated thoughts trigger
emergency shutdowns. Zigzag

is not a place. This is
the only place
where rain comes in threads

that won’t dissolve
the glue she uses
to hold what’s left

of her together.