we are safe here
among the fern fronds
among the cigarette smoke
-you can not move-
you can not go from here
not now, anyway
i can not stay
but i do and i feel all the better for it
i try to reason myself out of this mess
"you have feet" i say
"you have feet and you don't need shoes"
"you don't need anything but money"
when that doesn't work i move to reconciliation
you did not get what you asked for
you got something better
this is why the leaves turn brown in the fall
why the caged bird sings
circles are round and butterflies never fall, they float
all the way down
no conveniently built staircase
how do you get back up again?