PORCELAIN TEETH 

AIMEE TACON 

porcelain smile, meet 

porcelain teeth. shake hands now  

frozen grip, stiff lip 

cold meets colder still 

do my fingers warm you, then? 

pressure tips, heart skips –  

irresponsible  

hollow girl has lost her heart 

tore straight through her chest 

empty girl speak up  

write your poem, write it wrong 

which doll stole your tongue? 

now: child tips you up 

then: loss flings you upside down 

their clasp – fat sliding 

dripping down, climbing 

greeting tears from your hole-face 

scream with your whole face 

soar, watch from without  

two eyes amalgamated 

open, gaping wound 

race your heart to ground 

you will feel nothing when it 

smashes and you will 

see nothing when it  

smashes and you will not catch  

me before we must 

shake hands now. faceless 

heart crawls bleeding out my mouth 

cavernous, craving 

your face, if you please 

woven, delicate colours 

meet porcelain teeth.