Cheap Shoes, Bright Heart

Cheap Shoes, Bright Heart

Cheap shoes
bright heart
walking on the street
turning pavement
into something sweet

Bus stop is a chapel
in the rain
low rent living
dealing with the pain

Alarm is dead
the sun is in the eye
like a flashlight
searching for a lie

Phone is buzzing
off the plastic crate
screen is cracked
and sealing up the fate

Rent is waiting
in the metal box
lungs are wheezing
at the city blocks

But the ember in the ribs wakes up
demanding coffee
in the dirty cup

Dishes stacking
in a sculpture pile
sauce is dried
and been there for a while

Fridge light falls
on bread and nothing more
hot sauce standing guard
beside the door

Jeans are ripped
and showing off the knee
band shirt from a group
you’ll never see

Shoes are squeaking
worn down to the skin
laces tied
to let the day begin

Mirror shows a face
that’s getting old
tired stories
that have not been told

but underneath the circles
and the gray
a stubborn light
refuses to go away

Boss is talking buzzwords
on the line
while my brain is working
on a rhyme

Fluorescent light
is wrapping round the head
smell of toner
wishing I was dead

Doodling the chords
inside the note
music rising
in the heavy throat

Neighbor sees it
taps a rhythm back
two kids trapped
inside the office sack

Passing jokes
beneath the cubicle
making moments
that are beautiful

One day the body folds
into the bed
one day the bills are winning
in the head

But for now we splash
the puddle wide
singing badly
on the other side

Happiness might visit
with a slice
wearing ugly socks
and being nice

Night falls
back hurts
tomorrow’s on the way
beat is steady
at the end of day

Shoes beside the door
are ready there
heart is scribbling lyrics
in the air