In front of the comedy club
I have forgotten why I’m bleeding. A man in a black trench coat is staring and murmuring something suspicious into his cell phone. A woman with a red knitted hat and drastic yellow teeth is weeping into her fist. In her other hand, she holds a tiny metal square. I think it could be a weapon. The streetlights lap at my eyes like overfriendly dogs, dulling my perceptions. Prayers seem to die in my throat. I feel the universe contract as a wildfire burns in my lungs. Just before the dramatic fade to quiet, I hear someone say the word “suicide.” That can’t be right. I’ve been smeared and framed and . . .