my breath escapes my lungs like air leaving a punctured balloon
one moment--that's all
and it escapes like water cupped in your hand
it's impossible to stop it from escaping

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

you steal it
like a teenager at the mall
grabbing the trinkets and shoving them in the pockets on their faux leather bags
you steal it
and i don't even mind

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

drinkin­g salt water and watching the blank wall
gets tiresome
and i want to go home

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

the hallucinations begin
but i know they are just neurons firing in my brain
and that makes me drink that pungent water
and it seeps in my pores