Slurred croak cracked collarbone
head shaved tight to the pinking flesh
a pure invention of street life
synthesized and wired for direct current
breakfast juddering under ultraviolet
charred and caramelized with a blast
of woodsmoke as coffee is guzzled syllables
sputtering from misshapen tongue
the stink of syrup of hot sauce and vinegar
silence hanging heavy between
the throb of another morning and the stale
breath of the previous night
no recollection pervades his damaged mind
of how besotted the leather drool
of survival staggered him homeward
through greased and gut-churning detour
steel-pinned and bone-plated with memory
of smoke and gasoline he lights his flame
in competition with the rising sun
a crimson sky his furnace.
Paul Ilechko is the author of the chapbooks “Bartok in Winter” (Flutter Press) and “Graph of Life” (Finishing Line Press). His work has appeared in a variety of journals, including Juxtaprose, As It Ought To Be, Cathexis Northwest Press, Inklette and Pithead Chapel. He lives with his partner in Lambertville, NJ. FB: pilechko Insta: njscattista
