The locked jaw is

The locked jaw is
frozen-desert-dry
with the sandpaper grit
of 3700 lonely nights.

Faces ground down ugly up.
Mushy bodies turn not quite right.
Fruit, once freezer burned and thawed,
leaks onto the counter top.

Into thirty-one
and on and on
and no big surprise
when a face goes different
let's say, 'indifferent around the eyes'.
Thawed frozen thawed frozen thawed
about 3700 times.

Journal entry, Sister Teresa of Calcutta, February 1949

Today, my God, what tortures of loneliness. I wonder how long my heart will suffer this. Tears rolled and rolled. Everyone sees my weakness. My God, give me courage now. Let me not draw back from the Sacrifice I have made of my free choice and conviction.

only words

cheese grater
heart crater
mossy teeth
self hater

wrapped up
in butcher paper
it's a shame
that his name
is in deep freeze
but still a flame.

A learned avoidance,
from circumstance
and the teachers are:
a torn place
a heart race
the dull aches
oversized
consolation prize
no comprende &
no script.
the green mouth?
-neglected it.

This learned avoidance
of the heart race
of your face
means that now the deep end
is an office space.

Cough tears
don't send
train station
leaving again
trying to negate
a heartbreak
a soul shocker
in a sky scraper
wherein
his cowboy mouth
is wallpaper