Looking back, it felt brave 
to have touched
any man, like beating
a train across the rails.

He told me I was off mine–
conjured the words 
testimony, veracity and sides.
Rain and all the days made us

hostages. The animals boys
become. My blood
drying in the banks 
of bent grass, their tips,

pins inside pores,
blades, a stray cat’s 
mouth. The silent 
rivers and ghosts— 

disturbed fever sleep.
My dreams are green 
branches for whipping, 
an exorcism of cells.

—

Terri Muuss is a social worker, director, performer, speaker & author whose poetry has received three Pushcart nominations. Her first book, Over Exposed, was released in 2013 and in 2016 Terri co-edited an anthology of NY women poets entitled Grabbing the Apple. Terri has performed her one-woman show, Anatomy of a Doll, around the US and Canada since 1998. Her second book, Godspine, is forthcoming through 3:A Taos Press. 

http://www.terrimuuss.com/

Feature Image by Priscilla Du Preez