breath orbits {poem}

drug juice leaking down a shaped chin.
eyes swollen 
rolling into the groggy wind.
these alleyways are hot and narrow; it 
is the sentiment from which shadows climb one another
in an errosive collapse.

we partake in animal dances
flask-matted masks, 
bone thin
and wet in the tempered sun.

breath orbits
and dangling tongues, so allowed to take these gleaming words 
then make the watering can fall through the grass
the desert snakes will bake at another time.

cruel paint, moody stabbing the 
riders of the 7:30am train,
the message of milk and desiccated flowers
perched in the washroom on 7th and Lincoln.

we will find fire
flaring and exhaustedly
burning and burning and burning

because the tomorrow astronauts
are floating in duplex capsules,
software riddled with bugs and miscalculations.
they made promises of herb gardens on Mars;
a potato from Valles Marineris.

I pull you tight,
tight as ever.
taste, with me, the rain.

greentext @lucy

When Lucy overdosed
we were all in Kentucky
at the bowling alley.

Chloe's breath smelled 
of cucumber water as she 
made space for her words
above Lucy
on the bowling alley floor.

We scrolled through Lucy's Apple Watch
it had called 911 18 minutes ago.

We all stood above her body eating french fries
posting @omg.lulz.finsta

"damn, theres no signal here."
"just hotspot off Lucy's watch."
"is that how you're able to post?"
"hells yeah."
"my fries are cold, you think they'll reheat them?"
"dude, it's Kentucky - what do you think."

Trina wandered off with her cold fries
"cool, I got on. This is going straight to my rinsta."
"wait, guys....our Uber is here."
"what should we do?"
"well, we just can't leave her, I mean - right?"
"you guys do you - this Uber aint sticking around long."

We all left
Lucy on the floor of a bowling alley in Kentucky

It's been years since that night with
Lucy.
>> greentext
> drove to mountins
> been laying in 
> snow for hrs
> waiting/crying for another storm
> to bury the rest of me
> don't be me
> be a good lil human
> luv ppl / help ppl / help all lucys

Dust Has Collected {poem}

dust has collected
on the shelves within her room

and I move so very quietly
in the dark
lifting my legs over the
tall stacks of books.

I have stopped 
eating during the day
now only drinking licorice tea
from white
porcelain tumblers I leave on the
floor when I'm finished.

She spends the morning taking
pictures of the neighbor's car
parked on the street
from different angles.
She doesn't say why.

It is December today
the harbored boats roll 
upward in the high tide

I am having a very hard time
believing anything 
is solid or laughing
or real at all or 
anymore. I've cut through sheets of colored
constructions paper
realizing how much I really loved her.
I will not find her
I won't even try
in the strange holiday from
which we push our shoulders down
and slouch our earthly bodies forward

taste the air
if you get a chance.
stop and follow the sunset
if you get a chance.
reach your hand out to touch the face of someone you love
if you get a chance.

And of Ms. Rose Blak,
she has a castle in El Monte, near
the Ralph's on Ernest Pkwy
her makeup is always running down her cheeks
she wants to swim in the ocean at night
and will drive you to Santa Monica pier.
Things won't be easy, she drives recklessly
in her Cadillac svt. she will tell you 
how she never finished paying for her car
and that the bank is after her. she will
smoke with the windows rolled up. She will drink
Soylent Green from plastic bottles and apply 
lipstick on the freeway. 

I'm not with her anymore
but I never returned her keys, cassette tapes or guns
I put those in a box in my closet
labeled 'love'.