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