Once upon a time
I was struck by lightning,
all of my veins were pulled
one by one through my skin
and out of my body
through the base of my skull.
They were used for jump ropes
to occupy those who could not stand
to watch the human body be dismantled
without the proper occasional distraction.

My teeth formed an orchestra,
chattering in beat to some minor chord.
My hands became fish
and swam soundlessly off of my wrists.
Not to be outdone,
my feet ran away from my body,
chasing after my fish hands.
They raced off into another dimension.

It was impossible to see who won,
just then my eyes rolled down
the silhouette of my body
like a gumball in one of those machines
where they spiral for a few moments
before reaching the bottom.
I went to scream but
my lips were on fire
and my tongue thrashed helplessly about
trying to put out the flames.

And that’s when I began to fall apart.
Every single part of my body
abandoned me.
My brain fashioned a shank
out of my skull and cut itself to freedom.
My temporal lobe stuck its tongue out
as they abandoned ship.
Only my heart stuck around,
beating louder and louder
to remind me it’s the only thing
to ever have complete faith in.

—Lucy Quin