body

seven year body.
i am me made yet again.
septenary life

the model’s brown hand.
carefully folded creases.
where are your blue veins.

not exceptional.
just wearing fingers to bone.
daily bloodletting.

put on your pink blush.
yawn away the break of day.
your best face forward.

rigor mortis eyes.
you see beyond your demise.
burn the fog, the lies.

come life.

come and do not cower behind illusion.
bring your chisels and axes, your scythes, slings and arrows.

i stand here.
david to your goliath.

i stand naked.

come life.

come and do not pity me my smallness.
though small i stand tall.
though thin my sinew is taut.
though shallow with breath my soul is fire.

come life.

come with your bluntest weapon.
i stand ready and willing.
i will dance in this valley of death with you.
i will bend at your blows
and i will be smoothed by your coarse hands.
but i will not break.

come life. i will not break.

though i buckle
and fall to my knee.
though you rain blows upon my fragile ego.
though my breath turns ragged
and my blood runs quick
my soul burns more brightly.

my metal is hot and your blows are true.

come life. come, come.
my metal is maleable, my core is strengthened.

your blows, my soul’s furnace
may smooth my rough edges
but my metal is hardened
my resolve strengthened.

come life. come dance with me.

and when you tire
i will climb out of the valley
of the shadow of death
and the kingdom and glory
will be all mine.

come life
come rain on my parade.