I was cooking it

or cleaning it

or maybe just looking

either way

I was there

and so was the chicken

raw

pink

dead

I looked at those red & blue dots on the pink skin

and I saw me

I used to pick at the skin on my fingers

(and still do sometimes)

and whenever I went really deep

those red and blue dots would appear on the new pink flesh

the same.

I saw the distance between us

and recognized it

-         not that far

not unlike that between me and

you.