Houseguest

Listen, I don’t mean any harm,

says the virus cartwheeling

 

off our porch, leaving its

muddy boots on the air vents,

 

smashing all those delicate vases

beneath our ribs. Try to

 

understand—when I was born,

I had tongues for eyes and nothing

 

tasted right. Then I found you

and it was like waking up

 

in a house made of gingerbread.

I know how this ends. Still,

 

how to stop at just

one mouthful of God?


Also by Michael Meyerhofer