lacquered in rust
moon-

stranger staggers into
swamp gut
saloon

and cocks his lips
at a dancing
broom,

feathers too frayed to
salvage such
room.

ballerina frets
her best

come the end may
amount to
less

than a puddle of dribble
in last call
spittoon-

a hope-wrenching notion
however untrue.

so why don’t
i read..

likely it’s paper
allergy-

perhaps the sockets
of my soul

are glutted with
weeds,

a mind shaped seed
between my
teeth,

the perfect
book

was
make belief.