antiques

i drive myself crazy
trying to remember
where this antique store was
that i visited over ten years ago
the house that housed
these antiques was an antique itself
and the back stairs were worn down
so far, from so many serving feet
there was a knot in the wood
sticking way up in the middle
of one of the steps
and i wonder how many toes
lying in coffins
were stubbed on that thing
there were so many rooms
and no halls
one room opened into another into another
and so on
it felt like a crazy maze
and of all the ancient artifacts
of times before my grandparents,
the only thing i ended up buying
was a cassette tape of The Clash.
what was that even
doing there?

moral nudist

i'm only getting more naked
the colder the world becomes
the more hatred
the more skin
show me yours and i'll
cringe and i'll unfold
and i'll finally tell the truth
to be found and unbound
band together in reason, lonely
show our cuts and bruises
inhale reality
lick each other's wounds
and bite those who vilify us
help me celebrate
the undesigned beauty of life
the chaos and order
they have no monopoly on
or concept of
love