lynch

　　 by Martha Collins

　　 not as in pin， the kind that keeps the wheels turning，

　　 and not the strip of land that marks the border between two fields.

　　 unrelated to link， as in chain， or by extension whatever connects one part to another，

　　 and therefore not a measure of chain，

　　 which in any case is less than the span of a hand holding the reins，

　　 the rope， the hoe， or taking something like justice into itself，

　　 as when a captain turned judge and gave it his name.

　　 that was before it lost its balance and crossed the border，

　　 the massed body of undoers claiming connection，

　　 relation， an intimate right to the prized parts， to the body undone.

　　-