Let It Rot

Pipe leaks in the ceiling, drip in a bucket
mold creeping down like a slow-motion throat
Landlord texts, friends nag, “call someone, fix it, man
that shit will kill you, ” I just shrug in my coat
Phone on my chest, screen lit
thumb one tap away from saving the whole damn room
I roll over, turn the volume up, let the water spread

let it claim the room.
She stands in the doorway with packed bags, eyes wild
voice rough
spelling out every boundary I stomped and ignored
I watch the mascara streak, nod at the right spots
stare past her shoulder while she swings that sword
One word from me might stop the exit, one move

one tear, one promise to give a shit and try
I dig around half-hearted for it, find nothing
grunt “okay, ” let her fly.
You call it self-sabotage, Call it fear in disguise
I call it letting the rot spread Till no one bothers with my lies.

Let it rot, let it crawl, let the mold climb every wall
If the house falls in on my chest
at least I did not fake a call
You want me to fight for this
I can barely lift my head from the cot
If it matters that much to you, You fix it
I will let it rot.

Friends drop invites, “come out, we miss you
” birthdays, gigs, last chances for something real
Every message flashes
every plan a tiny life preserver I could grab if I wanted to feel
I swipe them away like spam
snooze the whole world for eight more hours of half-sleep and stale air
Then complain to myself that nobody sticks around

while the phone buzzes bare.
I used to sprint to catch every falling plate
hands bleeding while I juggled everyone’s crap
Now the plates slip, hit tile
shatter into bright white teeth across the floor
I watch from the couch, raise one eyebrow
Then roll over and snore.

When it all caves in and they search the wreck for reasons I slipped off the plot
They will find a mountain of “I’ll deal with it later
” Stacked high, Left to rot.