Today woke up ragged, hangover-haggish
A cheesecloth sky run twice through the wringer
Stagnant-pond brown, but headache-high greener
Regs ganja butter strained through a filter
Off-brand brownie batter, powdered-milk silt
Jilted red-eyed sleep, ingrained to the hilt
Death lives and laughs aloud
Strikes panic in the crowd
Gambles on Norse gods’ dark horses
Pursues quick greed at breakneck speed
Top rank of the dank underground
Mushroom trips on tips crushed beneath
Ulterior motives unseen
Pitched a demon’s octave down
Fetid bloom-swell—evil-eye smote
The trampled truth: a toad’s last croak
Buried at red tide: fish’s bloat
The algal pollen of rumors—
When gossip retains ill humor
Veracity dies much sooner
Kiss me deeply, bittersweetly
As I unmake you gleefully
Shadowboxing these deadened beats
Rhythmically bleeding ‘tween your teeth
Burden-bearing, bludgeoning need
I am sharp cheekbones: harrowing
Honing my craft, skulduggery
Untying your bird-butcher’s strings
Seeking cures for compulsive flings
Exposing my vulnerability
I raise my eyes;
Lower the veil
Binding your demons in my ambrosia
You are unborn
Beyond the pale
In case you missed it…
Short Story: “Ball and Chain”
A dormant serial predator of teenage girls returns to the scene via RPG app.
Happy Halloween.
<3
Jayne