Troubles

picture and picture of my bare pubescent bodies blur

a tanned and pink magic lantern show

sick stomachs flat or deep

and all my numbered ribs marked off

one when I was nineteen,

between my two hips

a third protrusion

gentle roundfort

green body deformed in that ancient way

looked in the mirror and felt sick

so I took a picture

in it the curve is hard low heavy

not soft with piss

sour and buttermilk

much too not enough curdles in me

slender black snake from cunt to ankle

white pus pours from the wounds I was born with

the candle said I’m

hard low heavy

melting

none of it dew

yellow amniotic caul

and no baby