Kristine Briese

IF DEATH WAS A MAN

The speed with which
I come undone astounds me.
My mind zips off
into the stratosphere,
trailing poison
and chanting lists
of sins, shortcomings
and lethalities,
a chorus in three voices.
My body, cow-heavy and tense,
thrums with a ridiculous rage,
jittering my hands so
they can't hold my weapons.
If death was a man
I would know what to do.
I would lay myself
bare beneath him,
give myself to him
as freely as I did
to the red-handed man,
open myself wide
welcome his whims,
take him into myself
and let him own me.

Date of Birth:	June 23, 1969
Location:	Lincoln, Nebraska
Occupation:	Staff Assistant / Web Page Representative
Email:	kbriese@les.com
Publications:	LoveWords

- July 2002 - Angel Meat The Birdbath If Death Was a Man Sometimes, A Bird Wearing Water she said, we are all looking for things... annotated versions of histories ... A Fairing to the Willow At the Chelsea Good Words A Good Job A Strange Thing Booze After Math Geology - Letita Trent's Favorite Six - God is a Woman Killing Cattle for Disease, Greeley 1998 Choice Escaping the terrible fish Pond Gathering