It turns out
You hadn’t known
Certain things you can do just fine
Certain situations you can come out smelling fresh
But then
just too shy
reveal the gap
wandering with the hole in your belly where light should be
held up by strings like a skewered man, eyes wide with shock while he stands and turns to speak one more time
right there
how long can you live right there
before the skewered man’s lips part as if to speak, but only a gurgle comes out
and he collapses —
having discovered himself much too shy for life