against medical advice he left lockdown
on a friday afternoon his purpose being
to be on a red stool before the day’s end
envy in their eyes they hissed and rocked
death’s rattle still in his bones
he put the laces back in his shoes
and the leather belt around his hips
not sure of his intentions
he pressed each number
with the tenderness of love’s first touch
the bail was coughed up, the price paid
now the innocence in her eyes was gone
after a long, hot summer
she found the solution he had been seeking
at the cost of her credibility
the sun sets and they find each other again
across a crowded room
under the neon lights love fades
but the money must be well spent
so she shrugs it off and shakes her hips
as she walks through the crowd on the dance floor
certain not to spend another night alone
