Sally Bliumis-Dunn

For the Child Molester
November 10, 2014 Bliumis-Dunn Sally

For the Child Molester

 

Let him sleep right through it—

thin syringe, everlasting injection.

 

Then let it hang

like an old wool sock in a closet.

 

Let him wake like a child

from night terror,

clatter down the stairs,

 

rush to the toilet

reach for himself with shaking

thumb and forefinger

around the soft base of the shaft.

 

Let him not even sense the warmth

of urine as it leaves him.

 

Let him feel like he’s touching

a soft dead bird

in that gray bathroom light.

 

Let him hunger for his hunger

the rest of his life.

 

 

 

 

 

Sally Bliumis-Dunn teaches at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. In 2002, she was a finalist for the Nimrod/Hardman Pablo Neruda Prize. Her two books, Talking Underwater and Second Skin were published by Wind Publications in 2007 and 2010. Galapagos Poems was published by Kattywompus Press in 2016. Her third full-length collection, Echolocation, was published by Plume Editions/Madhat Press in March, 2018. Echolocation was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Best Poetry Book for 2019 and long-listed for the Julie Suk Award.