Jordan Ranft

The Worms in My Brain Watch David Cronenbergโ€™s The Fly

whatโ€™s wrong with
ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย removing
your skin like
ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย a cocktail dress
to reveal
ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย something stronger
than petty rubber
ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย look the disease in its mouth and
a love story
ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย stares back
a new philosophy to
ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย ooze and sizzle at your feet
sloshing to
ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย and fro inside a greening
wound like a clapper
ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย in a bell
a man in the machine
ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย he doesnโ€™t fully understand
a kiss that melts the mouth
ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย ripening it
for the new mouth

Jordan Ranft is a writer living in NYC. He has been previously published in Bodega, Bayou, Rust + Moth, and elsewhere.