brief encounters

at a glance a pumpkin is a prawn tail or a chinese dragon

and a black and white picture reveals nothing,

red dirt is red blood and dust and soot and grime.

the fool

the window sighs the last of the rooms heat,

sifting out to melt the sleet,

stealing a breath to warm the street,

crawling out from under my sheet.

My frozen toes my dull numb feet.

Each leaden wave of cold hard breath

tumbling like cake crumbs

past from lung to lip and mind and heart.

each billowed breath hotly numbs

every thought tumbling in my head

every step tumbling down my path

stumbling and rotten, so goes my part.

rib

fingers dig into ribs

scratch out the last flecks

only to be picked

from perfect white teeth

and politely folded in a napkin