I would bet
but I have no
money with
which to
place a bet.
I bet you began
with that clever
little line tossed
out like a thousand caltrops
at the end of the poem.
Whether I win or lose
I lose—I start like this
with my tongue split
the tastebuds lost young
precept armed with
poll tax and pollaxe.
One switch turns off the internet
another makes all the previous
words shed fear skin embellish-
ment—I’ll push one now:
begin clear
toss caltrops
the poem ends
win or lose
—split tongue—
pollaxe, poll tax
two switches
no more twitter
fear of embellishment
Now I’ll push
the other:
clear
caltrops
poem
split
tongue
poll tax/axe
two
switches
fear