the ulcers in my mouth become portals 

where are you widening? 
i'm no stranger to stigmata 
& other blights. root with my tongue
in the reeds. you kissed me 
like a jungle flower. i'm a collage 
of sting. i don't want to be sewn back up.
i want to follow the openings 
until there's no more tunnel 
or till. sharp red gum. i am chewing
on the length of our hearts.
i want to know how 
much sadness a throat can burrow 
& how long we are going to wait
for the next pair of teeth.
i am missing every once-flat skin 
where we used to take our biting.
&, like a bird feeder, you parcel 
yourself into like coins. 
the trick is to tell the portal
you can't be gone very long.
i disspear into my own skin.
water & worry. we could have been
gate-cutters. we could still 
etch fences on each other's backs.
i want you to be a scissor holder
or at least the knife you search for
in the dim kitchen's light.
i open my mouth for you to see
& the light shines through
all the holes. my perferated 
cheese grater skull. little disco light.
dance myself a new face & you will
crowd-find me & think i'm a new devil. 
in my dreams, i take you 
onto my tongue 
& you sticky-note flicker.
i want to tell you 
what you shouldn't know. here are
all my pockets. look quickly 
they're each getting deeper.