[Ever]yone HAD It.

These Walls breathe and snore the same[.]

These Floors sp[ring] up[war]d

to the BEAT

of the p[it]ter-pattering feet[,]

the collap[sing] Ro[man] columns du[ring] war[time][.]

THEY BLEED AND CRY THE SAME!

B—U—T tHEY are incapable of  w[arm]th[.]

THISHOUSEAIN’TAHOME

Wi[thou]t the com[fort] of a c[ouch]

or the [feat][her]LY emb[race][,]

The saving g[race] of the bedshEETs[.]

I don’t share my blood w[it]h anyONE[.]

These dolls . . .

are my f[am(I)LY],

B—U—T unlike the Walls, tHEY don’t stand[.]

tHEY can’t stand me[.]

I canKNOT bear

The sIght of the detac[HA]ble Limbs[,]

These PLASTIC cLOATHES[.]

I find more LOVE

In MON\STERS[.]

These Animals are more f[am(I)LY]ar

With Love than these—TINy WRETCHES.

D[us]t to D[us]t[,] A[she]s to As[he]s[,]

ONE day, they will L[EVE][.]

I canKNOT pre[tend][,] I canKNOT heave.

This Room I live in[,]

This air I br[EVE][.]

I prefer to be

Stuffed and sewn[,]

To be capABLE to Love[,]

To feel OWNED[.]

To keep my face[,]

And keep my place.

To bleed[,]

and cry the same[.]