by muscles of the upper limb—
Molly Gaudry

we take me apart—

             by muscles of the shoulder—high school volleyball game of the symphysis
             pubis year D1 university scholarship not ankylosed riding on a single flat
             serve spherical ripped tendon cylindrical dive no conical college no
             money what now so okay California D3 college as far from Ohio as so I
             sit freshman saddle benched healing not healing unhealed broken ripped
             shredded tendon failure eighteen years old I go to bed I go to parties I fuck
             I hate I fuck I hate I screwlike fuck—

we take me apart—

             by muscles of the arm—sophomore year symphisis failing classes dance
             dance drink dance dance pubis dance dance drink dance dance not
             nineteen years old I ankylosed go home for Christmas break parents flat
             fighting always spherical fighting never cylindrical not fighting always
             saddle fighting and then you you you drop by “How are you?” “My
             grandfather just died” “I’m sorry” “Thank you” thank you “You’re
             welcome” we fuck it’s all I screwlike know “Happy New Year”—

we take me apart—

             by muscles of the forearm—I’ll drop out of school it’s what I’ll symphisis
             do it’s all the control I pubis have not control ankylosed control me flat me
             fuck me love me nobody loves me I’m nineteen spherical stupid I love
             cylindrical I forgive forgive all I do is forgive I forgive I forgive and then
             you you knocked on my door newly divorced and you were home visiting
             family trying to heal and I was healed and could have served saddle killed
             anyone across my net and beach volleyball was an option but I’ve decided
             to leave California fuck California come back to Ohio and fuck beach
             volleyball fuck screw school like fuck me fuck me fuck me—

we take me apart—

             by muscles of the hand—I punch the sentinels symphysis snow shatters
             against pubis bushes I stand outside the nursing home punch glass double
             doors metacarpals shatter in three places fuck metacarpals who needs ’em
             I wear a not ankylosed cast for four months reconstructive spherical
             surgery it’s over I’m cylindrical over I’m done turn me saddle over I’m
             not done I haven’t screwlike finished make me nobody knows how to
             make me make me come you come knocking “Fuck” “What happened to
             your hand?” “I punched a door” “Okay” “Okay” “So” “So” “How are
             you” “My grandfather just died”—

we take me apart—