The hand is splayed,
ready for our supper.
A willing sacrifice for the meal
And if not willing, then to steal.

His eyes grow wide
in pain as the knife
cracks off his fingers up to the knuckle;
The stumped ends quickly
become bloodied.

Screams wail
as the agony
of severed flesh sets sail.
Cotton rags are stuck deep in his mouth
to sheath his jagged edged shrieks.

The fire is ready
to feed five.
We gather around this source of nutrition
to save our lives:
Humans vs. humans
in order to survive.

The wailing shrieking man
is removed from the revelry
for tending,
To keep infection from tainting
our tongues next we gather
for eating.