Shaking Hands with the Mannequin Man
She was crazy
they said.
Watch out.
Out of her mind.
With a clove in two fingers
and two fingers
in my eye sockets
yanking my block ice limbs
onto a black bike
Midnight riders
ride free
Melting onto the bike seat
dripping onto the pavement
tar drops on the sidewalk
sticking in their place
Watch where you step
they might like your heels and
tack you in your track
She ran track
always ran
always running
running away flesh
away from flesh
and its smells and cells
of skin
She never wanted skin
she never asked for it
but she couldn’t take it off
so she took off
While they stood
and watched.
They were crazy
she said.
©2008 Hillary Swanson. All rights reserved.