A retired cannibal with false teeth

With her

I am not any better

but I am also no worse,

which she would tell me is better

and I would say worse

because I disagree

with her

and then,

when there is no then,

I’d find out the best and worst

without her

*

Though no man is an island

a woman will maroon you

and ask you to survive

by drinking the milk of coconuts

and writing SOS with your fingertips

even when no one will see anything

in the dark where you are stranded

waiting for light

so you can say it’s too bright

to look at the flimsy scratch of yellow

on the horizon

and at her

who can sustain you

with trees and shade

but will crowd with others first

those who died on the island

that ate people whole

like a retired cannibal with false teeth

who you prop up onto a rock

and speak to,

even though they are a better listener

than talker

*

This is the last time

I will play fetch with my emotions

that belong to you

because the stick has bent

into my mouth

or is it yours

when my dick bruised that time

when you bit it hard

because we hadn’t tried to do it

like we hadn’t done it yet

and we wanted to try to do

what hasn’t been done before

if only to feel like our love

was ours and original

and worth the yelp

and your apology

and my penis hung:

a tail between my legs,

a man lynched

bagged

gone and away

for this is his last time

lasting with you