Boysenberry

poem about the modern world, for a contest

 

I have nothing new to say

But you don’t want news

We want it back

Warm summers and long nights

The friends that we had

And the memories

And how wonderful things were

In the past

 

You don’t like to eat here

But we only came to escape

The dreary rain

As if we could afford to

As if there’s nothing wrong

Shameless, because everyone knows

They’re in our boat

 

It feels like we’re talking

Like we’re in public

But it’s silent

They know, they feel it too

You fix up your lipstick

In the spoon

I test the weight of my pocket

And everyone knows

 

You wrap up your arms in a shawl

Venture into the rain

Waiting

But not for me, and they know

I move to the register

I’m sweating

It’s freezing

The lights get brighter

Our eyes meet

She reaches for the drawer

She shakes

She knows

 

Outside, you stand strong

Like a sentinel

Until another meal pulls up

In smoky clothes

Inside, I draw

She hands over the money

It might pay the bills

And she knew all along