By the time my fingernails had split
and cut their way back in
toward the knuckle grit
and cut their way back in
toward the knuckle grit
I had already chewed these teeth
clear down to the dirty nubs
from chattering about how hard I hit bottom again
how far I had to climb up out of it
shovel myself off and start over
been doing that long as I can remember
as if it were my calling
as if my name were Helter Skelly
rising from falls I keep taking in vain
just for a reason to stand here,
looking like another loose jawbone
hinged on a tilt-a-whirl.
The question was,
If god can do anything,
can he can make a rock so big
that even he can’t lift it?
The answer is
Yes, all he has to do
is commit
to defeating himself.