CONTROL

One by one,

they'll come in three's

a voluntary twitch of the brow,

a purposeful inhale from the lip,

a bite on the lip

a bite on the tongue,

wide eyes wide eyes

now close them SHUT

shut eyes open them close them again,

twice plus one

a hand, the doorknob

you know you want to

stop but you won't stop

and you know you can

stop but you won't stop

because the door needs to be shut and you will be the one to do it

again,

and again and again

open close open close open close

now stop

twitch eyes, open eyes, a high-pitched-squeak

from the basal of your fob palate

your fob palate, shut and closed shut and closed

squeak and stop squeak and arch your brows then stop

do this twice,

and again

inflate your buccal, a pufferfish,

inflate it inflate it inflate it

INFLATE IT until your cheeks begin to tear apart and bleed hush,

squeak and rush,

pull out your hair strands,

one by one and one by one and one by one pull them away until there is no hair left on your head your index finger pull out the

HYPONCHIUM it cannot be there pull it out PULL IT

OUT of your finger your nail bed reach under there cut it out cut it out cut it

OUT

your hours are visceral bodily reactions

voluntary tiks tiks tiks

three times,

all twice, plus one,

while you eat,

cry, scream and sleep

run to the door and turn the knob but don't close it don't do it

don't do it,

don't do it,

don't do it,

and repeat.

you're in control

you're in control

you're in

control