–

When was the last time you felt a breeze? When you weren’t on the way to work? I let my heart collide with a soaring bird, and gliding transparently above the glistening water, I reminisced of what had past. Love lost, pain amplified. I thought of the majesty of the mountains, of what it meant to be free. Abandoned shopping carts lay discreetly on strict white lines. I propelled them past pale light into a vibrant world filled with sprinklers and valedictorians. Flies drew squares in the air, as I tasted the clouds. Missed phone calls poured out over the cracked desert boardwalk. Dead fish ached for adventure. Passion rotted by the shore. Hope took refuge on the wings of a bird. That collided with my heart.

–

I know that dot down on that grid. He is my girlfriend’s mom’s company’s corporate lawyer. On the weekends he spikes his hair frosted. Flakes he consumes before he goes. If he falls just right he lands in the contour of the driver’s seat. Did you ever do anything with your life? New running shoes pace around a dirt track. But when you finish you just began. Lies propel first gear to third. There is no breath for in-betweens and could-have-beens. The bouncer knows this lawyer by name. He passed the bar many times. Frosted glances down the line, contained by a sideways seatbelt. But these don’t keep you in, they trap you. The prettiest crash test dummies you’ve ever seen. But they haven’t crashed yet. Shards of broken shot glasses only make them stronger. Split ends end in shattered dreams. Spilled drinks signify new beginnings. 100 proof that this is real. He abandons his glance. How does this go? Liquor before beer? Hope before desolation. Deserts before jungles. Dessert before dinner. We have a winner. Deflated balloons rain down. You have to blow them up. Sacrifice yourself. He looks around then bends down to pick up his missed chances off the ground. Soaked with beer, his thumb and first finger stick to a red balloon filled with in-betweens and could-have-beens.