fetid life
like old wine settled
in a knock-off crystal glass
oily tops and clotting bottoms
what day is it
what time is it
what realm is it
where am i sinking to
is there treasure
in a chest
gold and gems
in my chest
where a heart pumps bad auras
from gut to head to feet to lips
where gut twists and up comes shame
where legs twist and up come sheets
where long nights
awake and burning
end in morning light
birds chirping
is there treasure where i’m going
lungs full of dark water
storms striking
lurid waves
deep down in my dark i am safe
it is cold, i can sleep
on smooth pearls and wet sand
with ten thousand leagues of pressure
protecting
and if i am so unfortunate that i may surface
ten thousand leagues of pressure
will push me back down again
in a wine-dark sea
they don’t know blue like i know blue.