i

if no one ever comes
to ring my bell
I can ring it myself

hear?

ii

what’s taken away
is gone
what’s left
is more

iii

it might be years before
I get it right or
never, but
the language I’ve learned
while being wronged
was right

iv

the valley below
a heart
whose?

could it have fallen
from the sky
as it forgot to
keep its closet closed?

v

fix me
soon
it’s tedious in the
Book of Soons

vi

tattoo
back bone
longitudinal letters

B
U
I
L
D

vii

don’t fake it with me
ever
nor lie about reality,

hear?

epilogue

if I take one more
self-help class
they may terminate my
health insurance