Calluses
on hands
and knees
and feet
a perfectly natural
response
to trauma
sediments on the surface
amber, lumpy
hard and final—
pliable and forgiving,
the way only
death permits—
scalloped tongue
cracked soles
an injunction to entomb
sterilize the wound
pain now and then
a function of thickness
Chris (he/him) is a poet from Hamilton, ON. His poetry has appeared in Prometheus Dreaming, Plants and Poetry, eris & eros, and The Dewdrop. His foray into poetry was borne of a desire to explore the perennial questions of life in a creative way, but more to the point, as a process for making the chaos of his inner life a little more legible. You can find snippets, previews, and micropoems on his Instagram page: @poetdaddy.
Snarl 