Hold up a mask before the heart.
A comedic grin or grotesque grimace will suffice
to hide the raw red pump and squeeze.
One might glimpse the soggy mass through an eyehole
or the narrow gap in the picket teeth,
or maybe not. Still, it would remain the same.
Remove the mask and the blue and pink
of all too fleshy throb and flood of viscous life
are there exposed...

To understand it, shrink down small and go inside.
Traverse the arteries and veins, observe the plaque,
dodging corpuscles on the way.
But remember that you ride with Heisenberg:
your presence matters. Watch out for vigilant leucocytes!
Or, impacting the vessel wall, you may cause a clot...

Best to withdraw and replace the mask.
All the other parts have theirs, one for the lungs,
another for the feet, and all are moving in the dance.
Assume a stance under the flickering crystal chandelier,
arms poised, ready to begin the grand pavane.

November 7, 2002

<< Previous

Next >>