i didn’t know the quilt wasn’t finished
or i would have waited to use it
but i realized this too late
when i noticed all the pins
stuck in me
dozens piercing all the way through
my hands and feet
the bed full of sharp ends
i start with tweezers
but it’s a big job
so i ask dad for pliers
pulling them out in bunches
blood spurts and drips
from the empty spaces
i sit in the inflatable pool
rinsing my skin
somehow i am doing this wrong
there are more pins
every time i look down
i am exhausted and crying
someone please help me
i can’t do this alone
dad comes over with a utility knife
tells me to be quiet
and cuts a slit in the pool
blood and water on the carpet
everyone is busy watching the game
i pull and pull
but the pins from my hands
end up in my feet again
and vice versa
i can’t see through all this blood
it seems impossible to finish
but at a certain point
it stops hurting so much
mattress dungeon 