Alison Jauss

The New Body

When they
drove her to the woods
her new body
pungent
rising to their hands and warm
as if it still held her
inside
they left her not to die
but to bleed a little
the woods dark like
she said when she was small
they took turns
as she stared up into a place
between two trees where leaves
crawled backwards
and made a hole of air

(photo by Nikita Cox)