hand to mouth, 2020
my dear america your chest is cold tonight
beneath my tired head
your hands are colder yet
and i am freezing in this sour heat
ran out of gas on I-90
sleeping in the comfort of the backseat
it holds me softer than you do
highway sounds sweeter than you sing
o america you are sand
slipping through my hands
i count the grains the blades of grass
the concrete cracks on state street
wrinkles in the skin you shed each season
your face has gone grim i say
my dear you turn away from me
hide how your teeth smell of rot and meat
i watch the headlights flash and imagine
the stars might reach down and eat me
your fingers catch in the scruff of my neck
i scoff when you say you can be soft with me
sleep through the alarm and wash my hair
with the last water bottle i wonder where youre hiding
america where do you think youre going
when i am still drowning
jumpstart the engine while my head hangs heavy
try to find a place that serves free drinks
why tame the beasts you capture
when i know you'd rather feast
i am hungry too america
my stomach never settles after i eat
food stamps taste sour paired with coffee
please my honeypie lean back for me
and let me take a bite of what i need