Second Act

Weeds in the flowerbedlatching on to what is deadlike the driest parts of the concreteright after a downpour.An old woman worksa high school level jobto supplement the moneythey dish out to her through mailmenevery month though it is not enoughto even keep her going.They cauterize the holes pokedin her stomach with whatlooks to almost anyonelike […]

Ronin

Cowards in the cageslooking outward at the freedomthrough the bars believeit’s nothing but a fairy talewe tell ourselvesto help us fall asleep.Printing lists of all the thingswe have to pray to keeplike cars with bright blueheadlights and a varnishover everything that shines.They think there is valuein how crowded they cankeep themselves.As if the quantity of […]

Fray

There’s nothing left but porch lightsslightly flickering in the middleof the night and all the raccoonspilfer quietly, aware that we arelistening for anything. All the flags on their polesare tattered and really barelyholding on without the songssang in their honorthey are withering like we dowithout time. Plastic in the places we are tryingto keep clear […]

Chains

The breakdown is a waking upof sleeping manticoresthat have no family leftbeside their hollow friendshipswith each other and no othersin the miles all around them.I break the chicken’s neckthe way I heard itso described in all her stories.She was younger in those pictureson the fireplace; her facenot like the mask she’s stuck in now.The flowers […]

Resolution

Lily of the valleyand the echoof the lightly falling rain.I do not care if all of thisremains the way I’ve known it.I embrace the changethat washes over everything.Give me garbage trucknoise and laughingwith the smell of tiny fireson the edge of someone’s driveway.There is no speed that I could get tothat would take me out […]

Spin

The ones supposed to speakfor generations have the disadvantageof being kidnapped fromthe grips of them.This is why the early albumsare always the greatestsince the real worldhasn’t fallen offtheir jackets like the duston every highway in the world.Summer is the season of song,and when they tell you nothingcan go wrong that’s when you knowthat there is […]

Others

The lights were half onin the bar where no one leftwas going very farout into anything.They paid in pennies and dimesthey found along the railingthat was set up to risewith the incline of the biggesthill the city ever knew.Hard candy wrappers hit the sidewalkon the way back to the placesthey were staying aton notice for […]