escapril

into the woods: i'm not out of the woods, i live here

my heart shivers
like a little dog in
its bone cage

it may be the lack of meds
or the incense i suck
like cigarettes

but i'm sure the mice understand
in the floorboards
what must they think of me?

and how i pick tangerines
but never eat
or even peel the skin away

and how i forget water and toothpaste
but never the aspirin
or the potato chips

i'll tell them i was
born with bad habits
on my umbilical cord

when it was knotted
everything was sealed in
plugged up like fine wine to age

but don't blame the doctor
or my mother
blame nature, blame me

and please
don't clear the land for apartments complexes
leave the trees