Lavinia Greenlaw(b. 1962)
Skin Full
I laugh till my jaw unhinges,
we hold me in with ribboning fingers.
Moderation in moderation. Who said that
It makes extraordinary sense to me.
You say that life is a three-legged race.
They show us the door and we have some difficulty,
bound like that from thigh to ankle.
The street is a blanket. We will sleep
with you on your front, me on your back,
The night will be endless and we will be endless,
layer on layer, infinitely warm.
I sing as we lie shoulder to shoulder
and tell you there is no such thing as anything
that is not a small circle. Now it is morning.
Can the bones we broke out of be mended
My eyes . . . The sun picks over their embers.