Axe

the next day i woke up no longer a kid  but an axe  my body carved from the tree who birthed me  my mouth ground into a sharp ridge felling anything it crossed  i met others like me  by day we cleared entire towns and landscapes  by night we were hung up like trophy fish  i didn’t remember things being this hard as a kid  but this is how it was now  the next day i drew blood

Tiny Cuts

do you ever get a tiny cut?
& then you put some triple antibiotic ointment on it & cover it with a band aid
& the next day there’s another tiny cut?
& the next day next to that one is another tiny cut?
& you’re thinking damn tiny cuts settle down
but they don’t settle down & then more tiny cuts show up.

remember the time the guy from Six Flags said i was too fat to ride the Texas Giant?
that was a big cut
everyone at arm’s length patted me on the back
they said “hey that’s a giant cut you got”
“you need us to do something?”
“we can help you with that giant cut”
everyone could see it.

& what happens to all those tiny cuts?
they’re still there when you get home
catching the fibers of your bedsheets making you shiver
but in the morning they’re smooth
like Baby Face Nelson
practically getting away with murder.