he cried uncle far before she gave him the option
they were married within the month

they called them little Spartans,
the way they pushed and shoved
as the sound of the lunch bell
the way they shown off their weapons,
some of metal and some of paper
the weaker-willed soldiers gave up
their possessions no longer their own
as the 1st graders stole their heart-
shaped kindergarten sandwiches

i haven’t ever loved
and from the looks of
poetry, love *****

globe lanterns
christmas lights
Shakespeare Andy Wharhol
billiards to the brim

tinsel
sandwich boards
microwaves
dust-covered couches
empty trash cans

lonely children

if only the silence that fell
when shock filled the room
would fall upon insolence
like the sword it once was

if i was a leaf
you’d be the grass
i’d fall into you
by gravity

it’s out of my control

he is naked on the pier
the water ceased to hit him
the shore no longer freezing
just frozen on the pier, numb