ON EDGE

Birds are whispering

in my ears

crying help and save me

weeping, weeping

dashed against the dashboard

a flurry of feathers

torment

*

A new sun rises

on insomniac nights

cups of tea never solved my problems

but they tried and that’s what matters

right? the thought that counts

but what if no one’s

thinking, thinking

of me

?

*

Road signs point me

in the direction of the nearest ditch

the nearest cliff, the nearest solution

it seems my feet have run out of gas

and so my knees will do the walking

against miles of scrapes and moonshadow

breathing, breathing

try to remember

try to forget

*

Lick these dried lips and wonder

about pasted paper stars and

cracked ceilings that look strangely like angels

lie on a bed of post-it notes that

remind you to live your life and

smell the decay of civilization, the

restrictions of freedom and

wonder, wonder

how it ever ever

came to

this

*

4-10-04