i wonder
if the thunderous
beat of my heart
rattles windows
of the cars
i pass
as badly as
my pulse seems
to rattle my
brain against
the jagged ivory
of my skull

i set off alarms
in the slow descent
through concrete
slopes deeper
under the city
lights flicker
as the ballasts
sway precariously
and sharp cracks
fragment in the
brightly painted
concrete pillars
my subsonic heart
tearing down
the city around me
entombed forever
in a rebar grave

each beat threatens
to pulverize my
ribs to fine dust
and deep breaths
do little to
stop this mad
panicked stampede
it feels like
everyone sees my
distressed gaze
glaring in hopes
the convulsing
mass of muscle
finally gives in
admits defeat
as the dust clouds
settle around me