hush of the tissue

In the hush of the tissue, wait with me
Press your ear against this body
The half-remembered, longed-for sea
Come with me into the body

Anything that moves must come to a rest
No rhythm is endless 

Excerpts from “The Exact Location of the Soul,” “The Surgeon as Priest,” “The Knife,” “Skin,” and “The Corpse” from MORTAL LESSONS by Richard Selzer. Copyright © 1974 and renewed 2002 by Richard Selzer. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.