Glossectomy

I blurt out exes’s names at random times / sometimes in the shower / when water slips into my mouth / other times I’m on a walk & my mind wanders to some shit I don’t wanna think about / embarrassing shit I did in sixth grade / kissing a girl’s hand in the lunch line / leaving notes & drawings in cubbies / searching porn on my Nook & masturbating for the first time / at least it wasn’t a Kindle / fuck Amazon / fuck me [insert name] / tongue spasm / lingual misfire / whatever the hell you wanna call it / I don’t know why it happens / maybe before we stopped having sex they left something beneath my tongue / more than a name / something looking for air / escape / sometimes I look in the mirror & curl my tongue against the roof of my mouth / dig my finger through flesh & spit / I never find it / maybe all I need is another lover / come visit me in the dark / bring a pair of pliers & a whetted tongue / fuck anesthesia / pry my mouth open & cut it all out

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Roman Bobek is a poet from Medford, Oregon living in the Czech Republic. He majored in Creative Writing & English at The George Washington University. His debut poetry has recently appeared in The Shore. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @roman_bobek