These bodies have been standing in the bathroom. They occupy three of four urinals. Two clustered on the left, careful not to touch. One alone, on the right, pissing on the wall. An empty urinal between them. Half-cigarette on the cake. The two bodies on the left lean against the wall with their foreheads. The leftmost body rocks from side to side, foot to foot. The second body from the left takes gum out of its mouth and sticks it up against the wall. The third, the rightmost, the one alone, sees where it’s peeing, sees the way its urine runs down the grout and pools at its toes. Its redirects its stream. It is humming. They have been there a long time, the bodies. They are all very drunk, the bodies. The middle one begins to cry as it looks at the gum wadded on the tiles. This body just remembered something. No body asks him what. The leftmost one shakes off, shakes dry.
Body #63
This body has arthritis. An arthritic body confuses itself with the enemy. It attacks its own self.
If the arthritis travels to the brain then the body, in its fervor, will blind itself.
It would not lift a knife to put its eyes out. Some hungry, hateful thing inside it would.
Body #66
This body sings a slave song.
This body does not know the song’s a slave song. It doesn’t sound like suffering at all.
Body #71
This body this body needs a body needs a body for touching for loving for smelling for loving for breathing, for breathing, this body needs a body needs a body for yearning, for wanting for yearning, for touching for loving for smelling for tasting, for breathing, this body needs a body needs a body needs another body’s body, for hunger, for thirst, for hunger, for thirst, this body needs a body needs a body needs a body for its nose, for its mouth, for its nose, for its mouth, for its nose, for its mouth, to fill them with good things, this body needs a body.
