Merry Pox '03 (A Poem)

the blister
red
strand

from bald
dome
to
tiny toe

the devils
flesh
walking
Christmas tree

oatmeal heat
with pinprick
nails

throbbing

throbbing in
cactus
birth

throbbing in
fever
pores

on the bed
with chicken
beaks
and claws

as the snow
falls
and ribbons
are attached
to gifts

I
lay covered

a human fire
put out
with ice pick
left to
smolder

with just
the shingles
still
nailed
to the bone

hanging with
a
death like
grip

smoking

with the
coals
devil red
gouging
deep
into the
nerves

the holiday
toys bark

the ashtray
is full

my son
brings me
coffee

I slide
my glasses
on
as Christmas
fades

***This poem can be found in my book Dead Hip***