eliminated from the team, refracted
from the equation, put in a bird
cage, flimsy construction
paper soul pressed against
the lips of a thousand blades

vibrating like soil
under the weight
of a nameless stampede

floating away, a distant
but fond memory,

tired of living,

exhausted from trying

let it come naturally...

breathing the sharpest
daggers, open arms for
cruel, sick jokes;

embrace the absurdity;

sleep upon nerves
shot to hell, welcome

the worst of thoughts;

like wicked flames
burning from a holy
candle;

a wick lead by temptation;
fueled by innocence

the tiniest speck
against the giant
wave of grain that approaches...

open eyes that see nothing at all...

but an accompanied mouth
to claim such things exist.

I open up the UberEats app,
order two lattes from Brian's Brew
I wait, every now and then
I check my phone to see what time it is

Time, you're silly

I wish I could slap
you back to where you came
from

I wipe my eyes, the dust from
the lids sprinkle my cheeks
like sugar crumbs on
a cake yet to be baked

Space, can you be a darling
and bring all of our hearts
closer together?

I just want an earthquake to shake
things up

Still, I sit here and wait
outside on the patio,
or inside on the couch
watching re-runs of Jerry Springer

Internet, can you supply
the world with more mysteries
rather than answers to questions
that haven't been asked yet?

It will be okay, but it won't
really

Opening books, scribbling
on white cloaks, and tapping
on keys are all I know,

millennial disease,
I suppose

I wait, listen for
the knock on the door

it doesn't come,

I don't bother with
anything anymore...

Oh, memory,

will you just stay with me?

Even if for a little while..

I weep for the willows
unsung in their
bed of nails

tossing and turning
like razor wires
that cover the
fences

I promise to save
you a seat;

Right next to me,
my precious left rib,
darling *****

Your womb
resting comfortably
in the palms
of my callous hands

pardon me
for peeking
into your window

i was just admiring
your Christmas tree

it's very beautiful

i like the oriental
ornaments; my favorite
one is the the rainbow
colored candy cane
swinging like
an iridescent icicle

don't mind me,
nor the ***** rags
i'm covered in

i'll be on my way
once the snow settles

nudge, nudge

you wake up,

pupils running
circles around
your eyeballs
till they get tired

collapse
at the bottom,
near the eyelid

and then your
mouth creaks,
opens like the
door of a basement

a yawn peeks
out, up
and at 'em

the dawn lulls
you back to sleep

a mild headache,
loss of appetite,
burning rubber, grinding
to a halt

she lets out a whimper

tears take a lovely
stroll down nostalgia
avenue;

tap dancing
across the New York
skyline

she clenches her teeth,
legs spread apart, a web
of deceit, a rainbow head
peaks out and whispers
secrets into my ears

we are all alive now

rest upon my ***** your
worry laden head, sore from
all the oral ***

this grave of carnal flesh
is our only pure rest

***** posture,
this lady, hunched
over behind the counter
tapping at buttons,
clicks and whistles,
***** and pistols

we go bang, bang, bang
on, in and around one
another

and she's there, ringing
up products, pointing
at slideshow menus

which one is
perfect for an Atkins
diet, "The Carb-o-tastic"
she says with a mild grin

she's being sarcastic,
but no one can tell;
these days our eyes hide
behind screens, brightness
on auto-pilot, the human
race pseudo-connected

come one, this table is empty,
come all, i'm free and a loosey
goosey

the windows wiped
down, heads turned
at a ninety degree angle

appetites like magnets
directed towards red
apples

this garden of Eden
used to be the refuge
for graceful angels

now it's all in ruins,

uprooted and discarded
like ***** napkins

she coughs and signals
her youngest daughter in

and tells her to mop the floor

some ******* spilled
a full cup of tomato soup

and didn't bother to
clean it up themselves