L. Ketchell
I take her out of the freezer and I hold her against my skin
She’s warm like me
Then she burns. It’s like she’s frostbite, so cold it burns.
Blisters spread across my open palm
She sinks into me
Her skin, her germs, find their way into my flesh
Beneath my skin.
–
Over the summer my cat caught a lizard
I freed it but the unfortunate thing dropped its tail
Which writhed and twitched in my hand
Until it stilled.
I cleaned it and I put it in the freezer
For a few days. Then I took it out
And brought it back into my hand
It was stiff and freezing.
The coldest burn I’ve ever felt
by L. Ketchell 