the heat emanates from my cheeks
I feel a slight lightness in my head
this is the best kind of sleepy
the kind that happens early in the evening
completely random and without prompting
it’s natural and so pure
goodnight

I did nothing today,
It was nice.
I wish I could do it more often.

giant buildings pepper the skyline
on a single story, a townsworth of people
they go about their daily business
for being a thousand feet up,
their lives are simple
everyone knows each other and cares
they go to school together and die together
the windows and the newsfeed reveal all
the decisions of other towns and buildings
it is humanity squeezed together
some leave, some stay, but all know
the ramifications of their votes
physical proximity creates an urgent need
it is humanity squeezed together

maybe we can do this
maybe we can be here
maybe we can be free

when he was little
he locked the bathroom door
he had his mom’s tension belts
long wide strips of elastic
and he watched himself
wrap them around his upper torso
he imagined leaving the bathroom
but he never did

there’s an IV stuck in my arm
sugar water dripping down
and a little sedative injected in,
the sleepy apathy is always.
the sludge of other concerns
trudges along in my veins
there’s an incessant beeping
and banging on the side
but I ignore it willfully
sleep is easy
pow, pow, pow.
I sit up groggy,
this is better
it’s uncomfortable,
this is better.

a loud humming noise
constant and unrelenting
it was here before you
it’ll be here after me
a forgotten soundtrack

tough lives make tough lines
high fives and fake kinds
survive, friend of mine

two children hid under the slide
they didn’t want to get spied on
they exchanged secrets:
a sixth grader’s regrets,
about how a teacher lied,
a book one of them tried,
if you touch the sand you weaken,
getting detention for no reason.
nothing they say is snide
why did this ever subside?