TOTEC

TO DEVOUR THE RAWNESS OF THE SELF

by ??? for Totec Valentina Suarez, Callsign: Corona

Y o u Wonder W h y I Laugh

do you also wonder why

the rain laughs

at a dead plant

still weighed down

by water?

it doesn’t.

because the rain

can’t laugh.

You WONDER why i LAUGH

but you never ask

if you should be, too.

IlaughbecauseIlaughbecauseIlaugh

because

of your fingers on the back of your neck

whispering to your skin

that your veins aren’t in petri dishes

that your sweat isn’t a seasoning

that your flesh won’t be peeled the way a grape on the ground

pops

yOU wONDER wHY i lAUGH

and think you have a question I can’t answer:

w h y watch w h e n the a x e falls?? ? ? ?

i am watching

becauseIwatchbecauseIlaughbecauseIwatch

because

why should i not know where the blood—

sweet sweet red sweat slurring through

all these clumsy arteries—

why should i not know

where the blood came from? ? ? ??

where did the blood come from?

would you tell me if they stuck their neck out

like a little lamb?

would you tell me if they tried to count

the seconds [one two take the blade three four make it wet]?

would you tell me if they

wanted this?

no

SO I MUST WITNESS

There's... not much to say about this one, is there? - Symphony

No. I suppose not.
- Sonata

I don't like this one, sister. - Symphony

No one does.
- Sonata