when you gaze into your polished metal plates you picture the face of a man who longs to see his soul but claws are claws whether sharpened or painted or blunted from hours of bounding one track minded through the snow i have arrived an exile too inferior for your highness to fight armored not humored and prepared to seize your life the prisoner i came to rescue sits down to watch the fight with tears in her eyes who knew a tongue could do so much harm lying in one s mouth dancing to music that wasn t really there muttering about moments we never even shared your twisted jaw moves but you ve lost all sound how soon till your breath runs out when the others gaze into your polished eyes as glassy as the doll s you hold to represent your soul they witness the face of an animal acting like a man in their confusion you dressed them in sashes and perfume but the stench seeps through i long to scream my country this is not how we were supposed to live and with each mortifying blow i m fading rapidly get up i hear that faithful onlooker plead she won t insult me by looking away when i start to bleed who knew a tongue could do so much harm lying in one s mouth dancing to music that wasn t really there muttering about moments we never even shared your twisted jaw moves but you ve lost all sound how soon till your breath runs out one leap one strike and the metal snaps away from your face that chattering jaw comes unhinged and your insincere tongue hangs down from your neck i plunge through the ribs and grasp the steaming slippery heart it slides down my throat and i am king again tear down these garish walls and let the prisoners free throw their gaudy stones out to the sea rip these dolls limb from limb claws proudly unsheathed our souls were never meant to be seen