Hello Tier thirteen
Keep your cages nice and clean
Purse your lips and nod.

There have been other years
when the gross ache of being apart
was caused by the spiral growth of life,
but it was ours,
easily fixed by a Boxing Day trip
or a warm January shindig.
This year’s exponential spiral
stifles all but the cold binary of a zoom call
and fans smouldered ire at the avoidable

the breeze in the trees hasn't found me today
and part of me wanted to keep it that way
I've hidden my body inside of myself
and all I can do is remain where I fell
but lying in ditches is tiring too
it causes my sadness to take me to you
I want to be certain before I give up
that what I am keeping is only enough
and pulling the wool over eyes I don't want
I'll gather apologies into my arms
I want to remember what you will forget
to change the beginning, we shouldn't have *met