Josie Levin
It is difficult to find your body until
after you’ve died
When we open you with one stone
we have to check
the underside twice, you are not
behind or further inside
we expect less heavenly ocean foam,
to rise out and look,
your head surprised us, shaped like
a horse but with its human lips pursed
You can understand us looking down
and anticipating a quadruped – a thing
meant to walk on its hands, to beg, to
hold the stone and drop under
that it’s difficult to believe you undid
the knot with just one leg
Surely we are not the first to rear back
assay egress from your piercing ovum
We’ve seen what comes of carrying
your line, what it is to build your tithe
Whatever you do, you do enough
leave us holding the baby
***
Josie Levin is a visual artist and writer whose work has appeared in several publications, including Kitchen Table Quarterly, Peatsmoke Journal, and Plainsongs Poetry Magazine.