the miracle pill

               is a sludge drench

been given the slipperies

                at

                central railway

                & again

                at the airport check in

a useless delay

  adds shadow

    to waiting

               so     last week's

               couple of hours

               at Eddie's cafe -

collards & patties

cornbread & chops,

with friends

from some own-private

A-List,

             remodel sentimentally

             as memorable

everything edible

digested then combined

in blood's micro mix -

               dry cleaning fluid

               paint thinners

               toilet deodorisers

               benzene fuel drops

               ddt / literal poisons

               fish patties

               & sweet greens

plus the poison I use

to shrink my virus

               *

            

              I can only work

              the trap I'm in

               *

on the plane

 everyone's weeping

 at their tiny screens,

I weep for Janis  for Amy

for collards & for cornbread

              soft targets

              up in the air,

                    softies

you want to set

a favourite diversion -

              describe

              a spiral staircase

              without using gestures

but

can't play that

 

              more loving

              if I could

even for a short time

                    *

lobes drop

& droop

almost to my collar

          

           my skull

           must be withering

as

I head

towards my allotted truism