this cold has
settled in my lungs
two swords driven
through my chest
that only ache
when i breathe or
foolishly move
the exciting part
of a broken healthcare
system with predatory
insurance practices
is seeing how bad
a simple cold can grow
due to an inability
to afford a visit
to the doctor’s office
not to mention the
rising cost of any
meds that may be
necessary as well

leaf blowers perform a
duet as i hide in whatever
empty lot i can find
all i want is to close
my eyes for an hour
maybe three and hopefully
feel better enough to
slog through this swamp
of humid hallucinations
a hubris of humiliations
the engines whine as i
whimper to the sparrows
or the engines whimper
as the sparrows ignore
my incessant whining
i don’t know which nor
can i bring myself to
give the energy to pretend
i give a fuck at all

snarling and snapping
at the sunshine so bright
on a day so saturated by
an unwilling distemper