I loved you more when you were
skinny Joe
120 pound
ex-San Francisco cabby
I loved you more when you were
ghostly skinny
and starving to death
you loved yourself better back then
now you're gorging yourself with food
trying to forget the hunger
that burns to the bone
that pierces violently as a piece
of shrapnel would into your throbbing organs
but when you eat
you see their skeletal faces.
I loved you more when you were
ghostly skinny
with the strong curves
the shadowy hollows
what a face
what a filthy devilish grin
you're clean now
in 1992
beautifully white as milk
but
you cannot wash the German from your body
it sticks and clots like blood
it hardens
as a crust of bread would
and in your eyes the fire linger, the trees breaking
as bones and flesh would
you're swearing: words that choke
as dog tags would
I'm a Jew -