Bury the cigarettes in the junk drawer,
Or better yet, in the yard behind the tool shed.
Lift the chest, spread the collarbones,
Fill the ribs and let them shine, no longer invisible.
Take a glass of warm milk before bed.
Define the usurper, the pirate, the impostor.
Let their names flow out of your bloodstream,
Through your fingers, and onto the page.
Set that on fire.
Roll the wrists, circle the pulse, and
Whittle down it’s secret drum.
Do not be alone.
Pretend it’s your birthday, and blow a green wish
Into a balloon tied with your grandmother’s yarn.