the artist

*unfortunately and ironically,

the formatting does not work

for "the artist" on mobile

because my curve is too big.

please check out the

pdf for "the artist"

in its original format :)*

the artist

      cotton gown, 

         crunchy paper 

covering hair,

                i laugh myself to sleep, 

                   now surgical clay.

                      while mind sleeps, 

                         does body remember?

                                         recollections appear 

                                 like medical teledrama.

                                     mind requests 

                                         medical records 

                                            to remind itself

                                              what body knows:

                                    the artist sliced 

                                      a slinky, longitudinal 

                                      line down mid-back 

                                     of breathing clay,

                                   across ten vertebrae,

                                  full moons 

                                cut to waxing gibbouses,

                 harvesting,

                                reshaping each process.

         metal on bone

                 bone on bone

                     metal on metal

                                                    metal on metal on metal on bone

          six hours, ten vertebrae later, 

                  the artist reforms a spine,

   ancient sculpture 

            applied to living medium

         modern medicine: 

                               human alters human

                with god-like access.

                           clay blinks awake

                          stapled, sewn, taped

  permanently altered,

                then begins fusion.

       fire blazes in kiln

         awaiting body.

             mind vigilant, skeptical, 

                body overrides mind,

     trusts the artist

        advances to kiln,

fusing into a new shape,

   still remembering its original form