The carnival came to town
and the clowns are under the stairs.
Lipstick teeth and lightning
stretch you wider and it hurts.
Hands spread open your pharynx
and judge your throat. It quivers
with embarrassing trepidations. Salty heels
of palms brand your tongue with bad intentions.
Unpeel your persuasions. Learn Egyptian.
Learn sleight of hand from unscrupulous magicians.
Let your sister hold your hand, and
when she takes you under the stairs
to the half-remembered electrocuted clowns
who hand you naked wires
and tell you they're in love,
believe her.