leech 

discuss morality of blood drinking. 
ask mouth, "how much more?"
swim the river razor. fish flute
from behind ear. talk to the channel
of static heart ache. leave with less legs.
an oar in the orchestra. drink
with gush & flow. flowers 
in their perfect pots. shoulders 
for leaning. motherhood freezing 
in the winter along with all other 
cares. flip knee cap like coin.
ask who is allowed to eat who
& if so what part? femur? artery?
iron? who gets to wrap the sea
in wax paper? laying down.
a doctor is waiting for his orders
to take away the pain. we used to be
salvation. used to close our eyes
& feel evil seeping out of bone.
in the swamp we told the birds
our secrets & they laugh before
flitting far away. a wing is always
what another has & you do not.
we do not have much. no devouring here,
only keep going. finding a place 
to become rapture. the between
of the between. you won't notice
what i take. or, you will, 
& we will become lovers then, right?
a river suddenly gone still. 
toad's white belly. heron's ankle. 
the sound of a boat's engine
sputtering open early orange dawn. 
i am the need you wish you could have.
asking another, "do we become 
what we contain?" another saying,
"no, we contain what we become."