when a poet’s lips are sewn

with twine, a scissor or a razorblade

may interstice

 

(sound dribbles through—

 

unpicked stitches loosen rooted

tongue till words escape

 

(torn flesh—

 

poet finger-paints with bloodied

drool: fluids pool and pucker

into evidence

 

(print is privilege—

 

unsown poets make songs flesh

 

***

Jude Marr is the author of Breakfast for the Birds (Finishing Line, 2017). Her poetry has appeared in many other publications, including Panoply and Cherry Tree. She is a PhD student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and also poetry editor for r.kv.ry. More on Jude’s work at www.judemarr.com