Cold cube, points half shaved off, bound with loops in tight lines of elm. Crossed in with maple at the last moment, when gradually shades take up station in the ceremonial clearing... Maple splints softened by obdurate hands, the gum of each splint creaks, exuding; it fills in cracks of the splint-maker’s hand. Elm forms the ceremonial shoe, strand-cushions with straps, those leaves that taper, then span; here they are, flushing between the flattened toes.
Two testicles, hanging, from a midpoint wrapped up with loops of elm. One teste marked by white + in white circle, one by a white -, in a white circle. Some stretch these symbols, believing them daubed by nymph fingers from milkweed pods; the truth being that some commonplace person bolted a black glass to bulging root...correctly placed the testes, for a view through the glass...and then traced on the skin the attractions they saw. (The splint-maker takes this template, and daubs the design on the skin in acrylics, post-haste.)
Each staple is now applied, and while one begins bleeding, a next shuts the capillary. Cold cube, points half shaved off, is rubbed, and its waters are shook off, wetting the thick hairs of the sac... Finally, the slit is made; the cube inserted, as capstone of testicular pyramid; the proper symbol’s drawn (this we cannot divulge). With wood-threads and fibers, the wound is then closed.
-2001
