Gingerbread

They made a cemetery

from your ribcage

& I am a river in Egypt

You can sink your crooked spine into

*

In war, you said the opposing team shot off the top of your skull, and with it went all of your mind. Somewhere, your joy is spinning silver on some old woman’s loom.

*

And we sit cross-legged in front of the yellow house, breaking off pieces, breaking our teeth, pretending the stucco is gingerbread, and the oven is on pre-heat.

*

The politician with the toothbrush mustache was relentless. It wasn’t the witch who pushed you into the fire, was it, Gretel? Bread was too scarce to build trails. Go outside and stare up at the constellations, see if the Devil hung another star. That means they’re coming for you.

*

I told my dog I murdered Hitler

& the beautiful thing was

He believed it