midnight men

lock the door with jupiter blood.
we burn the moon in the fireplace 
so that the night sky can stretch 
her legs. have you ever seen 
a midnight man? i ask the rats 
who are busy playing harpsicords
& eating dust. the rats scatter.
they do not want to know. 
 they stand in the yard at night. their bodies
are static & wool. eyes yellow
& green like dropped words. 
they knock on the door. put on
their sweet voices to try to get you
to come closer. my biggest secret is
i once laid down in a bed of teeth
with a midnight man. his skin shimmered 
a pearlish white. he grinned & talked
like a television. i said,
i have always wanted to be eaten
only it wasn't my voice speaking.
i was like a puppet. blood trickling
from my mouth & my eyes.
he reached inside me. extracted 
jewels & juke boxes & pocketknives.
all my treasures. insisted that this
was a toll for his company 
& i gave it eagerly. when they come
& make a home inside your mind
you chop off your own fingers 
willingly. this is why i say 
do not talk to the window at night.
take the blood of a trusted planet.
paint it over your eyes 
& try to sleep. i know. i know
i hear them talking too.