The summer is dying in my arms
While the pages shred themselves
Mirth simmers in humid air
Dread winds like ribbons ‘round my fingers
Gasoline fumes and ashtrays litter my head
All while the devil and his saints are spinning thread in the pantry
Whistling cemetery lullabies that have echoed ‘round my skull since playground days
Moths beat themselves against the bare bulbs of this porch like my heart against this broken ribcage
That holds spells I dare not utter
Curses against my own hands
To plunge into the calling void
I’ll gather the dead leaves and wrap them ‘round my longings
Litter your window sill with the tired eyes and thin skin of
A specter of a small-town shaman
Mixing rain chants with desperate pleas
To the mountains to forgive me
As tea leaves spell out cracks in the autumn sky
Alexander is an occasional writer and musician. During the day, they work as a Social Worker in NYC. You can find their flash published with A Thin Slice of Anxiety, Bright Flash Literary Review (Pushcart Nominated), & Suddenly, And Without Warning. They also released a novelette @newyorkviscera on IG.