plaster wall

distant television noise

echoes down the hallway
distorted
fragile
softly penetrating like warm rain
covering the senses thick with trepidation

she sips the cold water
with dry lips
her hand brushing her hair back constantly
like a nervous tick
you can taste the miles traveled in her eyes
her ragged breathing comes close to me
nestles in my ear
and makes my thoughts twist

i lean into the hard plaster wall
the chipped paint dirty with fingerprints
my heart hanging on the nail deeply driven into it
cluster of imperfections surrounding
distorted by the lamp light
appear man made
but are really the implications of madness
teasing the mind with disturbing thoughts