time

spare me your condolences
nobody died here

I listen
I wring from my palms
truths and victims
and celebrate the birth of lessons

we had fun—
fucked for our own vain edification
no
partial reality
nor permanent press

leaves peeled back
lives laid aside
deft suction and
penciled-in
attentive bullshit
designer band-aid Novocaine

I know
the untold is
the elephant in the room

yours unruly
truly

mine aches my
headaches
and pins my skin to the wall
plain and tall
smile
crawling back to

punch
the clock

feed the
feeling that we’re
okay, dear

that we can
see through it all
and blame the
torch of
each other’s
simplicity

tawmnation