pardon me 

pardon my white
meat thighs-- dry
& sliced in 
the crystal 
serving dish-- 
dark meat hiding
in my shadow
where the knife can't
find it--
oh come here & be 
thankful with me--
say 
dear lord
thank you for
making me a colonizer--
& pardon the second
graders sitting
on the carpeted floor
as construction-paper
pilgrims & indians--
eat the corn bread
& pardon the crumbs--
we tie
strings to our
gods & march--
pardon the city
for being so
dirty & pardon our
bodies for
hunger-- this is
the one day we're
allowed to be
hungry--unless
of course you're
a girl
then you've come
here to pardon
your hunger--
oh but in the
end at least
we pardon one
turkey right? 
there is hope
in forks & knives
& maybe this
year we'll get out
the good china-- 
baste me-- i crouch
coiled in the oven--
i remember
ever feather stripped
from my flesh--
here i am:
pink & pardoned--
how many hours left 
to roast?
we'll pray for snow
so & pray for
christmas-light hail--
a muffled secular
hymn being muttered
by the clouds--
we'll go out
there in the back
yard-- fill our hands 
with lights
to hang on the front
porch so everyone
will know 
we've been pardoned--
oh pass over
us angel 
of death-- 
my white meat is
dry-- i left
my shadow in the top
drawer of my dresser 
surely there's someone
else to lacerate
this year-- i
swear i swear
i've been pardoned--
father--
now take me out
to the back yard
where the ghosts
of christmas trees
have started
congregating--
we'll throw 
a football & get
grass on our knees
before dinner--
oh i'll ask you
to pardon my queer
blood & you'll pretend
not to hear me--
i'll catch my
dead name every time 
you say it--
grab letter
by letter & dig
dirt-under-nails
to bury it under
the evergreen tree--
oh pardon me 
your son 
has five more
hours
left in the oven
but the mashed potatoes 
are ready &
the soup in 
bubbling on
the stove-- oh pardon
me pardon me
pardon me for
being unable to
hide enough
of myself in the drawer
of my dresser at home--
oh let's get
together
& all list 10 things
we're thankful for--
i'll start:
1. a body vast
enough to hold shadows
2. a god full of helium
3. ropes to hold
him down
4. the oven door
5. the good china &
meat sliced on top
6. the inevitable
pardoning of one turkey
as if mercy were fickle
like that
7. the hope
that they choose me
8. the hope that 
they choose someone
else more deserving
pluck out
my feathers one 
at a time
9. roast me in oven
10. lay me down
on the good china