How to use this body

Remove clothes and put to one side.
Body will look awkward, which is normal.
Arrange body on sheets, adjust temperature,
and turn out lights.

At this point,
any number of things can go wrong:
phone can ring, vase or book can fall
from shelf, memory can quicken, love can beat
its wings against the window, and so on.
In that case read to body, give body

hot drink or bath, return body to bed,
and repeat steps two through four (above).
After several hours, remove body from bed
and wash.

Put body into clothes again.
Feed and love body. Do not cut, shoot,
hang, poison, or throw body from window.
Keep body from drafts and solitude.
Write us if you are happy with body, and
could we use your name in our next poem?

David Kirby