a surplus of insufferable somethings
business cards, stubs of nicotine
a dented penny, a flask of whiskey
phone numbers shitfaced scribbled
on cocktail napkins and folded
like pornographic origami
like a bra made of onyx lace
placed in the sagging back pocket
of some random man’s parachute pants
with a faux peridot rosary
and a bent barbers comb
could-be’s condensed
like milk
like ivory keys
affections defeated by the voyeur of morning
reckless / unrequited / menial / meaningless
prone to the drones of synthetic opium
as he scuffs the concrete platform
with the dragging steps
of disintegrating combat boots
ferries his marginally inked exoskeleton
onto a subway train in Brooklyn
the capital of epidemiological doom
deserving of the full eight syllables
alcatraz of the east
citadel of sardonic illusionists
where the buildings shield
the insomniac graffiti artists
and walstreet wallflowers
from sunlight and consequence
someone at a dive bar said uv rays
are the same thing as existential dread
so he stands crooked jaw’d in tunnels
dispensing unsolicited wisdoms
on unsuspecting individuals
he plans a low budget wedding
as I laugh from the mast of a war ship
built from a surplus
of intellect and popsicle sticks
having forgotten how to forgive
the little white lies
that lead straight to the hem
of that hideous plus size bridal dress
but April—
love is patient
love is kind
and love is blind like Helen Keller
in a power outage
and love hides like Ann (with an e)
the diarist straddling a germanic rafter
I fought so many wars on behalf
of other people
I stopped caring who won
—
a. duncan, 2020
the lion’s outside of your door
the wolf’s in your bed
the lion’s claws are sharpened for war
the wolf’s teeth are red
both the wolf and lion crave
the same thing in the end
video featured track: ‘a moment of fire’ by lo-fi beats and chillhop chancellor
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