Aortic Lullaby

Suburban Memories

I

The poison crashed in through her lips
like a boy after a misbehaved puppy:
a skittish memory off its leash;
if he dares not chase it
the memory will laugh
from the pits of pathetic eyes
in lost-dog posters;
if he tugs too hard he will break its matted,
collared neck and the memory
will be buried in a shoebox
in the garden next to the cheap vinyl
fence.

II

Words crash out from the windows
of paper airplanes
crafted from choked-down, spit-up memories;
i try to catch them with the drop of flame
that trickles from the plastic yellow cigarette lighter
and they scatter in ashen mess on the white carpet.