Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Anupama Pilbrow

The bone is a long and solid bone

The bone is a long and solid bone

The bone is a long and solid bone

The bone is a long and solid bone.
It is ripped out of the leg, or the arm, 
sometimes the stomach. The cold
eats it from the inside sliding marrow
down the tunnel of mouth the
pain of flesh is relief. Hold the bone
and scrape it hard against concrete
or volcanic rock to shear away
soft and round bits until the bone is
a weapon. The bone is a long and
solid bone. The bone belongs in
the ground and in your hand
at the same time. The bone is
a tongue. The bone is a labial
consonant and some languages
lack the bone, but have seen it
introduced with English. The bone
is a long and solid bone. The morning
has not arrived and your hands are full
of blood. They cannot clench it.
 
Close

The bone is a long and solid bone

The bone is a long and solid bone.
It is ripped out of the leg, or the arm, 
sometimes the stomach. The cold
eats it from the inside sliding marrow
down the tunnel of mouth the
pain of flesh is relief. Hold the bone
and scrape it hard against concrete
or volcanic rock to shear away
soft and round bits until the bone is
a weapon. The bone is a long and
solid bone. The bone belongs in
the ground and in your hand
at the same time. The bone is
a tongue. The bone is a labial
consonant and some languages
lack the bone, but have seen it
introduced with English. The bone
is a long and solid bone. The morning
has not arrived and your hands are full
of blood. They cannot clench it.
 

The bone is a long and solid bone

Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère