Sacrifice

There are many ways of 

killing yourself slowly

some involve actual death

some are just

the death of spirit.

Every time you

bend the arc

of growth

every time

that you put the forks 

in the drawer differently

or stop wearing green

to please someone

you are losing 

a little more

of the original.

Who can say that

this jury-rigged, 

adapted version is 

better or worse

who can say

how many pieces 

can be burned in the fire

of someone else’s altar

before the picture

is transformed.

At forty-four

I feel

like a beloved 

stuffed animal,

people have been

taking bites 

out of me

for a while now.

The worst

offender

is me

I keep

sacrificing myself

over and over

to bring you pleasure.