Summary

The speaker has cut their thumb open, as if it was an onion. They examine the cut, finding that the tip of it has been almost entirely removed apart from a small hinge of skin. They compare the thumb to a pilgrim who’s had its scalp removed, and to a bottle of pink champagne. The blood reminds them of soldiers pouring out from the wound. Speaking to their thumb, the speaker calls it a “Homunculus” (Line 22) and a “Kamikaze man” (Line 27). The bandage on the thumb grows darker with every beat of the speaker’s heart. As the bleeding eases, the speaker comes out of their reverie.

Analysis

The title, “Cut,” is an onomatopoeic word that lands the reader or listener immediately in the scene. The word itself when said out loud sounds like a cutting motion — short, concise, landing on a sharp...