—SMALL TALK, WHEN YOU TELL ME YOU’RE ON FIRE

 

 

half-drunk happy

   after Gracie Abrams

 

 

hate to picture you

   half-drunk happy 

those pristine teeth

   stained funky-claret

laughing like a clown 

   that’s told its own joke  

 too many times

   talking about the things 

you talked about with me 

   but that’s because it’s Wednesday 

Sunday Friday everyday 

   Christmas and Easter

double rainbow over your

   vineyard lawn chair with 

a stuffed basket of baguettes 

   and the blood-red roses 

your new boyfriend bought 

   while I languished 

 in tacit purgatory

   licking all my swollen

bruises of regret