You called me “Cochon” The night you told me So I hit you hard I hit you so hard The tumour felt it I woke up crying Face up in your lap Lapping up your tears Like a young swallow Swallows its mother’s Face-full of bile-worm And I said to you I don’t want to love A living headstone
And you called me “Chatte” Practicing naked Downward-facing dog Before your pelvis With less fur, more ***** Regurgitating ***** of skin, of taint, Tainted skin, birthmark Marked malignant skin Like a mother bird For her naked chick Shed of its cancer By my grating tongue And I called you “Chien”
You called me for help Through your sealed eyelids Enveloping eyes You no longer own Only for a kiss And so I kiss you I kiss you so hard On your cataract It clears your socket Now bloodied, benign Like a cuckoo’s nest And I said to you I had hated it When you spoke in French