Aside

Measure me in metered lines, in one decisive stare,
the time it takes to get from here to there.
My ribs that show through t-shirts and these shoes I got for free;
I'm unconsoled, I'm lonely. I am so much better than I used to be.

Terrified of telephones and shopping malls, and knives,
and drowning in the pools of other lives.
Rely a bit to heavily on alcohol and irony.
Get clobbered on by courtesy,
in love with love, and lousy poetry.

And I'm leaning
on this broken fence
between Past and Present tense.
And I'm losing
all those stupid games
that I swore I'd never play.
But it almost feels okay.

Circumnavigate this body
of wonder and uncertainty.
Armed with every precious failure,
and amateur cartography,

I breathe in deep before
I spread those maps out on my bedroom floor.

And I'm leaning
on this broken fence
between Past and Present tense.
And I'm losing
all those stupid games
that I swore I'd never play.
But it feels okay.
And I'm Leaving. Wave goodbye
And I'm Losing, but I'll try,
with the last ways left,
to remember. Sing
my imperfect offering.