the paint on the wall is peeling

coming off like scabs

faded colors litter the ground

like the final weeks of autumn

right before the frost covers the ground every morning

hoars frost turning the now naked trees into ice sculptures

but not in here

in here the paint falls in clumps of lead based scaborous things

walking through barefoot and they cling like barnacles

god knows if there is any way to get lead poison through simple contact

what a way to go

the lead builds up in organs and bones

making children less intelligent

slowly poisoning over months and years

someone should sweep up the flakes

sand the walls and repaint with an acrylic base

but who has the time

or the ambition

just condemn the building

go outside and jump into piles of leaves

but not the ones on fire

just a warning

you know

because of all the paint chips on the floor

stuck to legs and feet like nicotine patches

if it isn’t time itself that kills you

or loneliness

or boredom

it’ll probably be something inane

like a stray bullet

a much faster version of lead poisoning

not nearly as aesthetically pleasing

at least it’s quick

better than this rotting away

sleeping in a bed of unkept promises and dreams you can never attain

staring at the ceiling in the dark

flecks of paint falling into open mouths

wondering about genetically modified vegetables the wildlife won’t eat

or what they pump into the headless

seven breasted

nine legged chickens on the factory farms

or the pink sludge they call nuggets

or beef

it was simpler when they used lead in everything

yeah it was killing everyone

but they were so stupid

it didn’t matter

now everyone is more knowledgeable

but somehow just as ignorant

shit

someone needs to make more lead paint again

help the world to forget how we are slowly strangling it to death

overheating

overeating

under thinking

drowning under the flecks of paint and over abundance of empty calories

swimming down rivers of corn syrup and hardened arteries

as long as someone profits it doesn’t matter to the fat cats

what’s a few million deaths

just paves the way for more consumers

eat or be eaten

darwin would puke up galapagos turtles if he saw what evolution has become

crash the beagle into the indomitable will of survival of the meek

binge watching shows as the world burns at an ever rapidly pace

the paint peeling off the give peace a chance posters on the walls