i once knew a man

i once knew a man who had wild horses killed.

when he told about it

the words came galloping out of his mouth

and shook themselves and headed off in

every damn direction. his tongue

was wild and wide and spinning when he talked

and the people he looked at closed their eyes

and tore the skins off their backs as they walked away

and stopped eating meat.

there was no holding him once he got started;

he had had wild horses killed one time and

they rode him to his grave.