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nicole v. basta: “bruxism (the habitual grinding of teeth)”

May 30, 2018 by PBQ Leave a Comment

 a man in iowa chose for his last meal one olive 
        with the pit still in it 
it was just a little blurb i read about requests on death row
the article said the man wanted to swallow it whole 
so once the coffin and the caves of his stomach decomposed
        it would take root in the dirt
where more than a murder might remain on earth at his hands

when it’s my turn i don’t plan on having to make a choice
but for the lease to expire on this body in my sleep 
the last bit i chew maybe a little motion in my jaws between my teeth

i won’t need a seed in my stomach for the wind to absolve me of my sins
         and to who it may concern i’d like to say
i don’t want to be closed in a box, i’d prefer to be seared to a powder

when they pulled that man down from the gallows   
         they felt a tiny bump in his suit pocket 
maybe he couldn’t conjure up enough spit to heave the seed inside him
the mortician probably threw it away but i like to think it bloomed 
in the landfill among all the egg cartons and bread bags and coffee grinds

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