the sound of a cannon
raising its voice in a well lit room
crooned the sleep out of me
till i was abuzz in the same
to clear its vinyl throat
but never shorten the fuse.

while sordid players fell in vain
through acrid walls of smoke
i began to count how blessed i was
but could not get past my thumb.
now all i can think about
is how cautious we've become.

taking a step back or two
to mull in all the damage.

broken window shopper
i swear, i'm just browsing.

those perfect white teeth
burrowed into oblivion
winding down peacefully
on your vivid whim
such senseless dreams
watered down; wasted.

i left you for another
one cheaper though bitter
after all those crucial nights
ducking down congested streets
all the same, i can't get over
how callous i've become.

placing down the hammer
no one needs to know.

dying so humble
why even bother?