From “[  Adam  ]in fragments/with a poem engraved/down the thighs”

After Archilochos

His body not pastoral

Fragment—musculature

Suggests the word

Slur : curving a phrase

To completion—yet not

 Knowable whole, as flesh

 Descends[   and here

The paper burnt   ]curl

Hung in curl, damp[ and here

The speaker, burnt, whispers

Anatomy  ]please[   and here

The paper   ]plexus[   between

Fingers  ]pubis[   whispers

Please ]shadow down

                 [. . .]

What damage desires

 Text, suffers surface

 To abrade, puncture,

 lacerate? Here white thighs

 And the poem[   here

The paper deteriorates  ]

And the body of the poem

[  The paper gets worse  ]

 Having what mouths

[  Holes  ]I cannot forgive

him the elegy[   but here

The paper is torn  ]mending

The kiss, sewing cuts inside

                 [. . .]

What damage desires

Anatomy—musculature

To fragment, puncture,

Lacerate? Here white thighs

Suggest the word Slur: curving

A phrase to completion—

 Yet the poem descends to

[  Here the paper burnt   ]curl

Hung in curl, damp[   And

Here the paper deteriorates  ]

And the body of the poem

[  The paper gets worse  ]

 Having what mouths

[  Holes  ]cannot forgive

Him the elegy[   and here

The paper   ]plexus[   between

 Fingers  ]pubis[   whispers

Please  ]chiseling the kiss

Engraving desire with cuts

 inside

—Brian Teare