Maureen O'Leary

ANTHILLS

The entire world was rended
In the small of your boyfriend’s back on
The smooth skin where the sweat pooled
And the roll of muscle was bisected by a spinal track.
Nobody loved you like him,
The entire world spread and held apart by two fingers
Eating kisses and burning layers away
On imaginary ant hills scraping off the sugar and the skin
Digging for the blood table that well you knew was under there
The stripping being the way in
The long rides and music and trees at night time in the summer
The courage that took the pain exchange
The skin on skin and
The way ribcages crack when they are opened

CONSENT

The girl is behind the tangle with
Purple thorns pushing in and
The sky’s the limit, son

Where is my son where is my daughter

It’s all petal to the metal from here, boys
And there is no catching her
There is no touching without consent
She’ll bite off your fingers
She’ll give you up for Lent.