In America
You're either rich or ******
Or privileged enough
To be ****** by the rich
Medical bills
Car insurance
Groceries
Utilities
Student loans
******* that nobody can afford
Yet everybody pays for
Because this is America
And we need to have it all
In America
I'm ******
Because I'm not a millionaire
And that's the kind of salary you need
In order to survive

i have cravings for you

midday, i make my trip
from my brooklyn brownstone

to purchase you,
a woman with a chip in her tooth

and a painted-lip manicure
hands you to me

i treasure you,
feel your weight between

thumb and forefinger,
stashed in my bones

like the ocean you were
born from

i hold your on my
way outside, look

down the street
in awe

because in this city
everything shines

and when you peel back
the layers of skin

it's curious, what
a mistake a body

could make