Men swirl around
me like debris in a
cyclone too many
to even reach out
and touch they’ll hurt
me if I discover a hand
to hold a foot to tickle
they fly by just thumb
prints of themselves
a fracture of themselves
their best part their best
shot their best torso
they whir past me
like carnival rides
or cotton candy machines
the men spinning into
sugar

I’m different today
than I was two weeks
ago different than I was
before I had surgery
I’m different now that a joint
has been reconstructed
like a castle wall made better
removing bone replacing ceramic
and steel it comes with a
guarantee
I’m different now
composed of external parts
like a machine under warranty
I’m different today
like I’ve been different
each day since I was born
but now a part of me is under
warranty