my mother prays for buffaloes/ when she plays her favorite slot machine/ if they herd/ she's sugar/ and when they don't/ she pushes back her cuticles/ until they're red/ my childhood's full of/ jagged nail-beds/ my mother stuffing bills/ to the bottom/ of her purse/ my siblings and i pray she never becomes/ that woman/ who drove down the strip/ plowing arms and legs/ with her car/ injuring twelve/ killing one/ cursing the buffaloes/ for never saving her/ spinning onto her screen/ offering their meat

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