making me hunger for the cold. want to
feel the icicles jump down my throat when
I inhale to steady my breath, causing
my eyes to fail me and freeze. blurred vision
has me fumbling; hard ice has me stumbling.
sliding down to my death cause my legs are
too weak. causing flashbacks to all those times
I went sledding as a kid. skin numb and
laughter frozen, not one damn care in the air.
Set the cotton candy mounds ablaze;
transformed their blue haze
to grey.
Tried not to look back at the bridge that
called so boldly out
to me.
Imagined me atop its railing;
set to spring forth up
to them.
Mind wandered to that dying bunny
in the yard we found
last night.
Heart sunk and wished I’d held it so it
wouldn’t be afraid
to die.
Today you checked on it. Still breathing;
its glassed eyes on the
blue sky.
Put it in a bag; tied it tight. To
end its misery;
its fight.
Peeked on it later; its shut eyes now
at peace. Walked away
to cry.
it’s nothing, it’s everything
it’s the stuff fraying at the edges
it’s the goo left in-between
try to outwit it, run and escape it
but it’s clever, it’s faster
go blind when that mania warps shit
it’s nothing, it’s everything
the ailment that’s in your brain
leaving us stuck in-between
Have you grown weary of our clandestine
meetings? You seem impatient with all my
weeping. My tears getting mingled with my
drinking. Drops of salt make it taste better
anyway. The grief tastes sweet, begging to stay.
How long will it be? How long will this grief
remain? Tired of waking up sad mourning
in the morning. Would rather smile back at
you, something I’ve forgotten how to do.
Could we forgive us? Could we even try?
With hushed words in secret places in the
dark holes of our home; he waits and spies on
us. We stop our chatter and vow to try
tomorrow. Let our clandestine meetings
last. Let’s be strong. Let’s ruin this sorrow.
I want to build a house by the coal sea.
You say Mr. Take Awayer won’t find us
there by the dark sea that rocks us to sleep.
Mr. Take Awayer will wear a shabby
garb of white. You tell me he floats sideways
in the contrast of night. Always at night.
By the vast sea I pray his calls are drowned
out by the violent waves and rocky shore.
He beckons to deceive you far from me.
But you won’t hear him I promise. I swear.
I hope you’ll be happy, hope we are too.
When I build a house by the jet black sea
and every night have its torment sway us
to dreamland. Find comfort knowing it could
swallow us, forgetting this pain on earth.
Hidden afar from Mr. Take Awayer.
The Tape House 