Mutilation

by Shannon Joyce Prince

We are losing tongues
we are killing their mouths
we destroy the people who know the stories
we are losing pink
and the soil is too poisoned for more melons
and we cannot see past the smoke to pink stars
we are losing soft places
on the body
everything is muscle and teeth and nails
and blood
we are losing the ability to know the difference
between sweet and sour
we reach for grenades like they are mangoes
we are losing tongues
which are better than eyes
and more talented than hands
we can no longer apologize, forgive, sing, speak, pray
eat, nurture, we grow thin
voiceless
we more than die
we disappear
and take the world falling with us