I know you’ll flinch and say it’s TMI
but gifts of insight need be sung aloud,
so I’m compelled to demonstrate: to try
to pause a butterfly or catch a cloud.

The core of me was clogged by years of dust
and lint and dander, till a point appeared.
I tugged – it broke. I let it go and just
relaxing soon extracted something weird.
I peered down at my navel and I took
in hand my tweezers and I pinched the tip
of what it was and eased from me a curve
of waste compressed, a seed that had the look
of pine nut, peanut, even orange pip,
and that’s when I abandoned my reserve.