forgetting to notice
the freshness of rain on his skin.
a hug.
the heat of a coffee cup on his raw palm.
a smile given by a stranger.
the air.
a set of loving lips that wrestle his.

a man on a ledge
neglects simple pleasures
and looks down at the asphalt.

rides the waves of teenage entanglements
and out of feebleness surrenders themselves to choke
inches from shore

rages and riots
in the home
of their birther

smokes and sniffs and inhales
assimilation
and in their reflection
pales



i do.