put off by the color of your
shirt
i couldn't see
the sadness in your eyes

how pale you are in this light
seeming to stare
at nothing
in the distance.
heat shimmers off the
asphalt. shall i make you
lemonade

my teeth ache
remembering
the too-sweetness
of popsicles
dripping
in the heat of
city summers

Why do we check the seal, slice the lead foil open, and force the corkscrew deep inside the bottle, if not to spill some wine for the gods?

washed out, but still soft and gentle, and still my favorite