I’m in the kitchen kneading dough.

How do things

that do not speak complain when they

(mistakenly) think they are harassed?

Like grains—say wheat

grains—ripped off from what covers them

since you don’t know when

and—let’s say—someone kneads

dough to make what dough is kneaded for.

Sometimes to make black bread

I knead it tough

as gristle

as we make love on the kitchen table;

we bolt / unbolt

at our convenience;

but what of the things that do not speak

things we use in the midst

of our bouts of pleasure—

how will they complain

(if they will) when at any moment

there’s no one here?