i’ve not slept in many beds
corners and glitches where i rest
carpets stained and scrubbed up red
ceilings hung and cracked, deep,
and grey, and mottled lead

undignified we sludge and sled
under the sheets of reels
and flirting and peels, boy
i am hidden in the cracks, thread.
as much as i’ve been pled to,

and you know

the temperature drops and drips
below, i am laid bare and empty —
grasp this only, time’s a given,
a heavy hand can’t feel the tips,
a riot now, abbreviated scripts.

since it was all i had to adore you