Pulling Off The Face

You know

today

I have been pulling off my face

With my hands turned and my fingers clenching

at the corners of my jaw bone

I pulled as if pulling off a mask.

With two hands I tried.

I tried my mouth, my nostrils, the corners

of my eyes...I tried the reaching down

to the back of my neck.

I even tried breaking it down

by tearing an ear, plucking a lash

pulling from my brow,

rounding my finger through a blemish.

I know you barely understand

me.