withered scarlet
of the bag
of the woman
standing in line
in front of
me
browned
as the blood
drained
by your bellows
gagged
just before
your
brainstem
snapped, skin
stripped,
s t r e t c h e d,
and
sent away to
be sold:
limo seats, sticky
couches, chequebook
covers,
(toes, hair, bones, eyes
neatly, conveniently detached)
red is the rouge
on the cheekbones
of this
woman
before
me
in
the
long
dress
clutching
what she is sure
is her
right.