Preparing the Body

by Keith Althaus

I’m feeding it,
making sure
the hair is combed,
keeping it warm,
clothed, and clean,
till it’s ready
to give up
this running about,
constant getting
in and out of cars,
answering the phone,
the endless back and forth,
to finally lie
behind a door
which is always closed,
like those
trompe l’oeil ones
painted on the sides
of houses
just south of Genoa,
where we were lost,
and annoyed
at being fooled
by two worlds.

Published on April 18, 2011