Instructions on Breastfeeding

Do not worry about your posture. Slump
like a rat. Give a little, squeeze and pinch.
Babies are so like guns: their heavy heads filled
with potential. You’ll want some thick gloves.
You’ll want to touch yourself. You will peel
and peel at the paint of your chest,
uncovering the red beneath the white beneath
the porcelain. Invest in a tinted moisturizer.
Invest in semiautomatic weapons. Your baby
will grow steadier and you will not trust his teeth.
You will want assurances. Weave your hair into a tree
and nail the tree above his crib. This is a way
of forgiving. This is a way of killing the moon.
Palm his cheeks as you would a feathered body,
small and grey, a light touch, if you can.