• 1. Sometimes there's nothing you can do
    the driver turns too fast--you fumble
    cigarette extinguished on your two-day-stale pants,
    your thigh.
    Take a breath. Clench your teeth
    'calmly' repeat
    "do. not. lose. it. here."

    2. You hate it when your hands smell like this
    feel like this
    like clay's been worked over them-dry.
    You used to love this feeling
    "Like an artist!" you'd exclaim
    Now you're just a whore.

    3. You were the weird kid
    too calm, too complete
    organized, well groomed, freshly shined
    vocabulary well defined
    Now you sleep by the street, huddled under signs.