ISSUE VI

Let skin be taught as cling-wrap round my bones—

knuckles rough, red like knuckles dragged along

coarse concrete. Let me be knuckle-dragging-

mouth-breathing-ape-man-animal. Let skin

press skin, drumhead-taught against a cheekbone—

two thin films withholding bone from bone—two

taught membranes, caught between my hammer and

his nail. Let skin snap and tear, torn-tissue

flutter, flesh heap on hot concrete, brains sluice

through nostrils. Let bone kiss bone, cold-weld bone,

rib-cage weave with rib-cage, tibia braid

with fibula, spine coil spine—form one

double-helix. Let our two skulls suture.

Let them unearth a single skeleton.