Try not to make eye contact
And monitor your breath
If you breathe too quickly
The little birds escape
With a song so pitiful
That all would stop to watch
The flock spiral around rooftops
Into the air searching for
An escape from the sky.

Breath too deeply
And an injured wildcat
Caterwauling like--
A trash disposal when clogged
Limps through the
Aisle of the metro train,
Looking back and forth
At the crowded intersection,
Eyes fixed on the bit of grass
In front of the park bench.
Searching for something
She can’t remember
She lost.

Count your breaths, but
Loosen your irises
And allow the tiny
Pearls that reflect the world
Roll like little boys marbles
Over your cheeks
Leaving delicate trails in
Their absence. Lines
Written in clear ink
Formed by glittering
Salt dust.
One by one
Marking a rivulet of pain that
Does not betray you.