All Bare

To the boy who bathed in the manhole



Not a stitch to hinder me.
Not a care but the rumble in my stomach
I dive into heaven
Bliss and nothing more
The stink invades my thoughts
Mouth shut, eyes clamped
Ground touches my toes

Cool after the burning
As though banished from hell
Sunlight beckons, breath runs thin
I must reappear
Must head back to the burning
Pushing with my feet
Reaching and breaking through paradise

Brother hauls me out
There is room only for one
In the hole that leads to heaven
But smells like hell
The pavement feels sharp
It pricks a thousand times
Into the soles of my feet
As I run to mother
To eat from the bag
Someone's meal from a few days