my canary escaped your dovecot

the birdhouse brothel
i once was addicted to
went out of business.

the sparrows in my heart
have impaled my feathered bones.
pluck off my petals,

because without you,
why should i bother to fly?
this bedlam's all i know...

--

squawking in my cage?
wrap newspapers around me;
smother me with ghosts;

tell me it's nighttime;
you know i will believe you.
i'm such a rebel.

i'm not good enough;
send me back to the petstore.
i'm their problem now.

--

after all,
a nest is empty without its bellhop