Taxidermy by Sofia A-A

I am not great for myself

I keep my heart sick-

Or, my love does-

Spoiled perfectly with that

Rancid formaldehyde solution

The cat knocked over in the attic,

Before its life ran out

And chilled my poor kitty’s heart with poison

Lapped up with a parched tongue-

The poison that preserves my life

To keep me less than living,

A little bit less every day that

My healthy heart

Immortal

Floats in whatever jelly jars were left over from auntie’s garage sale

Their sugary contents rinsed out and filled full with mine-

Why, they can’t be but a few feet behind my neck

But these clay eyes only look

Pretty from a distance, and

My neck cannot crane to see

What this stuffing has replaced

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