Self-Censorship Ritual

this fragile midnight
its rich veins of blood

let a tooth take root
in a soft skull

at the end of the earth
this very crescent

a high C
guttering in a puddle

or lodged like an eyelash
under your island

at another end of the earth
a drone army

firing tree seeds
into clearcut mountains

if you have a price
you’re not a prophet

go self-censor
for the bathroom mirror

between sleeps
knowing they no longer knock