don’t look now
we be at the bottom of the hole
with the butterflies
and pony shit
they taught us
to shoo gnats when cameras were around
because it was unpopular to be poor
a new policy of sorts
(hate yourself because we hate you)
no more black and white
just folks and folks
—po’ is as po’ as we make you
times are hard
and them girls are thirsty
their g-strings looser
lipstick thicker
ass cracks drier
from sliding
over denim and
Dickie’s
grinding out
another
half-day’s
pay
somebody should pay me
to poison myself
one day at a time
let me write
until the words sag the page
and the cats sleep at night
and the male nurse has to carry me
to the shower
and feedings
deep down i know
my life
yours too
is worth
two good fucks
and a pet that loves us
even
when food is low
