drained of everything & refilled
with noise & hunger, I'm so tired.
withdrawal settles into bones
an ache for a drug barely tasted
& I watch the dark corners for
scenarios. those shadows are
never as deep. the mannequins
holding brooms, scattered paused
across the floor, are catching breath
with me, inadvertently stopping time,
holding the moment until the dusty air
begins to tremble, unable to hold the
collective inner screams.