By: Lindsay McLeod

RED FLAGS

The flowers in her hair dis-
turbed the voices in my head

and it wasn’t too long before
I said, (as suave as all get out)

‘Let me slip into something
a little more comfortable.’
I slipped into my car and left.

That’s the night I broke my
swear jar from the inside out.

###

FRAMED

I have had to
makeshift cage
those pacing
tiger thoughts
had to
throw something
together quick
in my head
to try to contain
the crash
that is getting
louder
between whispers
to limit
the reach
of this absence
big as sky
to keep
these claws
glittering empty
at arms length
that threaten
to capture
the promised
thousand words
from that
last picture of us.

###

YOU TELL ME AND
WE’LL BOTH KNOW

There at the beginning
and again at the end

the fault lay in the fever
that tangled our slinky

as we crash banged
down the stairs
and
then god damn it
I did it again

I fell in love
with the damage.