Odyssey

Written March 11, 2015

i lost a toenail in Philadelphia
long after i lost my mind,
scattered in cities and towns
up and down the Northeast.

calculated and reckless
    
     risks
         of life and death
         of mind and body
         of—

i was very good at counting.

i was very good at masking
a reality that

of course was all in my head
                that of course

                mattered,
                quite a bit,
                really.

there is a subset of women
and men, both little and
small (some not at all),
running along the river
                Styx

just one misstep away
from crossing it.







(they run out of sight,
out of mind, out of
your mind, you pay
them no mind.)