refinements

I like a clean burn: biofreeze,
scrubby soaps with shards of almonds, peppermints
packed into the gumline like nicotine.
don’t you like to shiver, firebug? part
of you waits for the cut to the
quick. aqueous iodine, vinegar and bleach,
I don’t genuflect to mess.

take the rice out of your pocket and scatter it:

knees to ground,
lips to shoe.