swollen heels wrapped up in knit socks

I tread down the mall 

twisted ankle 

broken spine 

the red light shines in too 

bright I shield and smile and work toward something larger, 

larger than me and us and you and him and her and them

     working double

     triple

     I smile

     twist the pinky

     finger the ring

     take a sip, baby

nodding off to the humming, the vibrant 

crooning of the frogs and the beetles and the flies

shortened residency

     I offer you this and ask for nothing

     nothing

         in return except

     for something

         something slight and sweet

grounded stomping barefoot

cold concrete

blistered soles swoon and croon and shake me 

but I'm smiling

gleeful indignation corners lustful flight

and hugs the boy with all its might

words fester like a ruby red rash

turn the heat up

more crocodile tears for the poor temptress

weeping latitudes caress the delicate

trickle up my hooked spine

and fall down like rain

the blaring boredom beats the bare bones of the boys in the backyard

perched among the fickle timestamps

flirt with the stagnant clock

inside this hearth is a dearth of flame

stifled embers emitting flakes of pale ash

cotton clad chair creaks and cradles 

supporting introspection and flight

don't run too fast you’ll slip you’ll let it run loose you’ll tear through

january leaves flutter onto my 

feeble shoulder twinkling persists

vagrantly and subtly

subtlety bemuses

inflicts 

as the tension mellows

unevenly

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Reach the reporter at ellefsonsam@gmail.com and follow @samtellefson on Twitter. 

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