and behind the cracks
the chips in my cherry cola smile
the gilded veins
that piece me together
and hold me upright
a splash of lavender
coats my skin
tongue and teeth
the sunset paints me a scattered palette
throwing casts in dusted rose
and perfumed letters
of purple prose
folded into sweet threes
and locked up tight
with a smudged lip mark
over the seal

she slid out of my life
like a glimpse
at the corner of my eye
a summer breeze
a quiet sigh
slipping sideways over diner floors
she trips on her way out the door
     - so soft that i would not have known
       had i not heard -
and before i can
open my mouth
or reach out a hand to stop her
she is gone
the wind carrying the coffee ground
of her hair
in muted tones