Somewhere

South or East or North of here
a little girl is learning

she is hollow

like somewhen a girl
pried herself
from the pomegranate bark

and walked away

her father pries her tin can
torso open
waves his hand inside

I don’t want
to say this

I am responsible
for you

for the vacuum
you fell into

for smashing my soul
and virginity
on the orchard floor

all my psalms
have led to this:

grow bitter
as pomegranate seeds

grow halved
and full of doubt

and this will save you