"We found swallows hiding on Ramos Road, then I had them tattooed to my chest" by Kate Sweeney

We found swallows hiding on Ramos Road, then
I had them tattooed to my chest.


Did you know after cremation, boxed ashes
will most likely contain chunks of bone and body?
My friends were recently made to dump out the remains
of their father, make a paste, and draw an elephant on the ground.
They used part of his hip bone to fashion the eye.

So much has been made of money,
I think I'll Will you access to my body.

These are your directions: 
Cut out the sections of my skin where the swallows are housed.
You’ll need tweezers and a spoon.
Scrape the layers of skin from the layers of flesh.
Try to get it as thin as possible.
So thin, you can see the sun thru, but only barely.
After you free them, float them vertically in a jar of local honey. 
Shelve them next to the spices.

In my dream last night, I sat in front of the mirror
and smoked cigarette after cigarette. Each time,
searching for the thing that would make it look just right.

Kate Sweeney

Kate Sweeney has poems in Feral: A Journal of Poetry and Art, SWWIMM Everyday, Kissing Dynamite, The Shore Poetry & other places. She has poems forthcoming from Ethel Zine. Kate is Marketing Director for The Adroit Journal and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Headshot: Kate Sweeney

Photo Credit: Staff