Dismemberment

The body, or a voice impersonating it, said:
Go! As of now, you are all free.
The eyes flew far away, joining flocks of other eyes.
which had filled the sky, almost blocking the sunlight.
The lips parted company without a farewell;
One searched for a new face,
the other for a lip that would listen to its complaints.
The tired tongue sought a mute man's mouth to rest in.
The hands clapped and waved to each other as they fled
away.
The right leg appeared frightened and hesitant,
then rushed to catch up with the left leg.
The nose fell on the ground. . .
As for the heart, it kept beating alone
until a stray foot crushed it.

From Postcards from the Underworld (Seagull Books, 2023) by Sinan Antoon. Copyright © 2023 by Sinan Antoon. Used with the permission of the publisher.”