Soul to Squeeze

by Mia Winchester
(Brookline, MA)

Take this heart
and rip it out from where it sleeps
squish it in your hands
until blood seeps into your fingernails
and fleshy bits fall to your feet

Take this heart
and put it to a cheese grater
scrape it slow and
feed the shavings to the dog
make sure his teeth are extra sharp

Take this heart
and wring it out like a sponge
let it's unarmored flesh feel the burn of a fire
let it fester
let it die a tragic death

Just take this sore heart out of me
for from it beats a bone breaking bitterness
from which I can't survive