Saturday, October 25, 2008

Glass Mastication

A thin glass breaks rather easily
in the jaw: tearing the gums,
the lips, and the tongue.
(The trick is to chew quickly
and swallow frequently,
before the blood begins to drip.)

A thick glass does not break—
but with the same pressure
does chip the teeth,
grinding them down to
gaping, bloody roots.

Swallowing the sanguine saliva
will upset digestion,
acidic peristalsis mixing
two vital fluids
where only one belongs
may induce vomiting.

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