A Merry Reckoning

Silver-toed and sleek,
seeking miles to store in my heart,
until sleep is able to wrap around me,
I’ll ride this train until the end,
or
until the coffee runs dry.
Either way I can’t imagine a life
without dire consequences
and strong-toothed women.

The deadly future we dreamt up was always here
but we burned past it with consumer goods
and a hearty laugh over our distraction.
Maybe the end will come in waves
or perhaps one wave, a single hand in the air
holding up
that white flag
of surrender.

Mendeleev told us but we didn’t listen,
but how could we when we were talking
the whole time?
That’s the way to do it now,
that’s the way to do it,
and when it’s done let’s wash our hands
and say goodbye.

-12/10/2018

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