Chump

The panel walls
Are shedding white paint
Under buzzing tubes
Of sick, unsteady light.
I've no idea what the grinning man
Is doing here.
He doesn't seem to understand my speech
But sits and leans into the corner
Scratching his ear
And seeing all.

There are ancient mines
For lead and zinc
Just out of town
They never filled in,
Sealing bodies
Down at the bottom
Of the shafts,
Unreachable.
They say a quarter
of some tribes
Were dropped,
Forgotten there
Forever.

Staring sternly
At the man behind the folding table,
I remember what my friend had said
About revealing nothing
Yet.

He shakes his head
Repeating softly
Like a quiet swear,
"Incredible.
Incredible."
The constant hum of neon
Stutters with a flicker,
Darkness extending briefly,
Popping through the sweaty room,

A instant we can all pretend
We're smart enough
To not be here.

- 4/14/25

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Awaiting Snow

Full and Naked

Elise in Beige