THE APARTMENT is huge
"I like the space" she says
and sits by the iron heater
sniffing glue...the old television
chattering like monkeys on Saturdays
at the zoo....

the inheritance trust grows or dwindles
like rust.....I havent a clue
but my ravenous greed shines on
the smile of my lips
my wolf eyes with lanky hair

it has become a cage...a prison
and a lair..

"Honey do we have any food?"
I counted her ribs...rolling her
over in the light of the moon
and the mood cast from the
lights of the city from the fog..
delirious and out of touch..
never broke the nod

A bread box from the sixties
chrome...black bakelite pull
knob and magnet...avacado
and empty...crumbs..
big enough my arm can
reach in and bang sideways
for a time I hid my gun...but
pawned it...naked and alone
laying on the floor
while she screams awake
at nights...for a fix....the
nightmares...the second
sight??

\the windows are the best
the old ones...
ceiling too floor
she sits in them like a light
box watching sunsets..
traffic glinting
when we afford it we
gather chinese
take out....
noodles and sauce
cuddling on the vast old
leather couch
that came with the
place
all the blade marks
on the upper left
corner I patched
with black tape

the matress on the
floor dirty and tired
as our souls
once a month I
scrub the wood
and annoint it
with lemon oil

the sunlight falling
in now till winter
is sacred

we are starving
slowly
pulling in notches
on the belt
the bank keeps
calling
and its been
a week since
we;ve
been out

the door against
the knob to the hall
collects dust

twenty eighth we
go out
we must!