she's petting a row of slugs
as they move past with their antenna trembling
she's driving her rickety car through a ditch
simultaneously
with the radio blasting
something like a harmonium
being dropped from a skyscraper
and landing in an artificial pond

she's sitting atop the refrigerator
with her legs under her
rocking back and forth
as meat slides off the lower shelf
and hits the floor with a tired-sounding flop
she's ripping the upholstry with little scissors
and landing in an artificial pond

she's petting a row of slugs
as they move by with their political signs trembling
she's moving their hair out of their ears
and spitting on their clay
after it's finished

pink velvet's gone
little orange and white is gone
bitten fingers so tiny are gone
gone also are the unhidden eyes

blue suitcase is gone
little splitpaws is gone
kisses in video light are caught
in a tumult of leaving

silver glasses are gone
fogged eyeglasses of terror are gone
gone is the prowler in white and orange
gone are the computerized hours

gone is the year of sack flour
that we struggled under
gone is the rift in strange time
that allowed us a broken breather

pink velvet's gone
little orange and white is gone
bitten fingers so tiny are gone
gone also are the unhidden eyes

someday all the bloodied nobodies will come
knocking at your door
they won't have weapons
they'll just stare

and if you try to answer
the question you think you see
in their stained eyes
it will be revealed to you slowly
that there never was a question
they will simply pour their eyes into you
you will simply look back with your eyes held in place

and whether you stop speaking
or continue to chatter
someday all the bloodied nobodies
will come knocking at your door