the human heart, i am hypnotized by you, by Cecelia Tivey

the morgue is even colder at night

but i’ve snuck in to get you

i pull out the closest cool steel drawer, 

carve into an unnamed fresh chest

with the practiced incisions

of someone who truly cares

i am the only one who can appreciate 

you and your miraculous rhythm,

the way you work tirelessly from

day to night to day 

again and again 

and i hold you in my hands

to cherish you, to see

how long you can beat 

against my thumbs

you stain the cracks 

of my palms, rivulets 

running down my wrists 

until i feel as though

i am bleeding

with you

i hold you in my hands 

and bring you close,

press you to my ear

to hear you whisper to me

tell me of the stories 

you used to spread

through veins

to the lungs

and the face 

who lay

decaying 

without you