How It Sounds

I don’t care about the keysthat stick distinctly in the door.It would be fine if I could leaveand not come back here anymore.The ceiling’s tiered just like a pyramid,but I can’t look up withoutyou looking down, and I don’t thinkthat I can stay around with you.I’m too in love with how it sounds. It’s not […]

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 […]