weave

shall i tell you the story sitting on my haunches at the
fireplace where i see the salamanders grow their limbs
again and again? or shall i tell you with raised
eyebrows, fingers knotting like hair in water? and will
you listen with enough attention as crinkled
grandmother skin?

i shall tell it to you clumped like earthwerm in mud.
you'd never know where i began or ended cause when
you're not looking i'll cut them in twos.

will you be hansel this time? i'll fatten you everyday so one day i shall eat you. gretel can go back home, i suppose the corn she dropped to mark the way are still there. does she look for orion's belt every night? if she finds the little puppy, tell her to beware. he gnaws your heart away.