Part of Me

Looking at
the exposed heart
satiates something
inside of me

the part of me
that feels hungry
all the time

the part of me
that knows how much
the heart
and the tongue
have in common

the part of me
that realizes hunger
is just another word
for desire and desire
is just another word
for pain

and we all know
that pain is the greatest
motivator

which is why I wake
at 5am and drive
to the city to see
a chest cut open
the skin pulled back 

because I’m afraid
that seeing a heart
this way
is the only way
I can see myself.