Breath

I am here now, slowly opening 

your chest, searching for a bone 

I will grow from (ribs are interesting 

only as cages — a stolen bar 

will help you breathe easy). 

I am less a cat with nine lives, more 

a lizard abandoning her tail. You 

are precious but disposable 

in the face of danger. You 

are danger. You see, your laughter