Delayed gratification

Let delight ripen
into a sweet juicy pear
True joy takes patience.

Marked

The stink of talent
is on him like fingernails
stained tobacco brown.

Raveled sleave of care

Fever distorts time.
Sleep the tesseract that jumps
illness to wellness.

You look great

Bright lipstick fools them
into thinking I’m well. No
“How do you feel?”

Senseless

After the illness
taste dulls on the tongue, food just
fuel to run this husk.

Insomniac

Clock ticks ricochet
like bullets of sound slowing
as the hour grows late.

In sleep

Her breath sounds like the
whistle of distant trains bound
for lands beyond dreams.