the early morning dissection

as we cut open

another frog in the lab of

ninth grade

biology

you couldn't help but wonder

what pond

the poor fellow

came from.

are his buddies looking

for him,

calling out his name,

his mother

and father,

his little sister, waiting

on a lily pad

for him to return.

we took out his heart,

his liver,

his lungs.

until there was nothing

left but

bones.

and then the bell rang,

and we

altogether, not in pieces,

went home.