Rifle through the closet,
find the bag of bags
you’ve collected for years.
The Journey’s bag,
that purple bag with the cinch-
it once held the shoes you wore
during your first kiss.

Go through the bathroom,
search the cabinet for
the hairspray
in the black can.
“Extra Firm Control”,
your mom’s favorite kind.

Locate that brown
woven belt that you
once took off
to lose your virginity,
curled like a snake
in the bottom drawer.

Put your head in the
purple bag like you would
*** a mourning flower.
Empty the black
spray can into the bag
that cradles your head
like your mother will.

Pull the bag string
so tight it burns your skin,
your own special
hang man’s noose.

Braid the brown woven snake
around your wrists and behind
your back -
tug so hard it almost breaks before
making the handcuffs whole.

Sing while you do this,
let the last thing you say
be a song.