Its boneheadedness its bark
texture – they are both trees
when you get down to it. Upside down
a sculpture with a cliff face to hang
onto for fun. What about the children
who could get lost in the nostril cavern.
A warning should be posted to the mothers:
          the ear, nose, and throat wells
          are the most fun for pups
          and the most diseased.
Repelling down the bridge is a good family
time but climb back up
before you reach the caves or –
If you were a skull,
seal or otherwise,
don’t you think your best rest would be bobbing
postpartum in a walled sea of parts? The sockets,
the departed mandible, the furry stitching
between plates, pairs and pairs
and a funny one here and there.

Erin Rice currently lives in San Antonio with her dog, Dewey. She got her MFA from the University of San Francisco and is now studying immunology.