The Podium
keep the silence and peace, earn your right
to speak
cut off tongue and hands to offer up to the
gods
and only then can you welcome yourself to
our desert
begin from the bottom of the dunes,
look up to the great ark that locks away
your gifts
in the abode of gods, whom you can curse
or you yourself become only if you dig deep
into the sands of their speech
find and keep every word, write and act as
they do
if only with feet or whatever remains of
you
once there was a girl who stole back her
tongue
used it to speak words, rivaling the gods
yet what is one voice against a pantheon of
hosts?
the gods tore out what she stole
tossed her back to the sands below
so save us your tears and put this to heart—
only the gods can decide
who will stay and who will climb
to the podium to claim prize of rightful
limbs lost
make attempt of the rebel kind
and fall before you can ever rise
