烟 / Smoke

火 [fire]: we / sons of mudcakes / cat shit brewing in paper cups / our poison
/ swallow matchheads

因 [reason]: for the older boys / who knew all / things we did not / cores of
planets / colors of plants / arithmetic of foreign tongues

囚 [imprison]: lodged / deep in bodies / saplings of willow / growing / between
our ribs / shaved each spring / in snapped goodbyes / to red sun /
that fit around / naked chests / bare feet / in fear of rusted nails /
upright after rain

口 [mouth]: so that / decades later / keeled / over nascent morning / soup
slipping / from lips of spoon / under Ma’s leaving / breath / bits of
food / baby teeth / you swore / you buried / sift / through wet
fingers / towards concrete / streetside / undigested / creamy

人 [person]: between thighs / every name / pressed / in sheets / of rising dough
/ buoys back / faceless / over a thousand ponds / each moon / pulls
its waning / overcast / through stretch marks / rippled / wider than
before / as mirrored nails / welcome / a dozen strangers / in
coattails / ironed / from the same fractioned bruise / ankles
scrunching / in commas / rain gathers / from our torsos / through
weathered skin / becoming