chewed off his leg and threw it into the fire
swallowed and digested down into ash and bile
he cried out for an answer but fire doesn’t talk
fire only screams out for more as it consumes
all its food made of flesh and blood but still
he demands why exactly this is called for
missing his leg he shoves in a peg on his stump
buys himself a boat and calls himself popeye
despite his arms being wiry sticks of meat
living on the sea keeps a man safe from fire
no flame could survive in an ocean so he
sleeps easy at night beyond land or familiarity
but if you live on a wooden ship with a stove
forgetting to turn its knob one night you’ll find
yourself consumed despite all the water
fire taps him on the shoulder just as he settles into
sleep licks him on the cheek demanding a scratch
under the chin and he calls out and he weeps
charred up he was found sixty days after setting sail
greeted by a small man on a motorboat riding across
atlantic he held out his hand and man grabbed on
with his remaining one the left side of his body was
all but gone and they sailed across to quebec but the
men didn’t speak any french so they lived on their boat
kept awake by the waves each day they woke without
any sleep until finally decided it was time to look for
help to find a doctor to replace the half body missing
hospitals were few and far between but after a bit man
found his favourite and waited in the room until doctor
shook his hand and found him a new left body donated
by an army man sawed in half upon his death don’t worry
he said it’s all perfectly legal in quebec the men laughed and
man hobbled back to the motorboat asked if he could borrow
set sail back home arriving back he saw his wife light
a fire he warmed his hands up next to it until one day
out of boredom he threw his right leg into it
