Ezekiel's Wheels

The Test

You place the palm of your hand
beneath each breast
and lift them one at a time
onto a glass shelf
as the weight of another shelf
comes down and presses them hard.
Between the punishing surface
of each layer of glass
your squeezable flesh.
Both arms stretch out,
your hands clasp the shining bars
for respite but there is none.

And if you decide between
testing yourself the old ways
or jumping dizzy into
a whirlpool of finders keepers
losers weepers
not daring to know
what the end might be,
when you rise up for air
you will be blinded by light.

So you come to the place
where the road ends
and there’s nothing ahead.
You can stand on the edge
and tremble with fear
or risk your life and jump
to the other side.