I'm encased in your numb arms
In the clutch of tollway sludge
I'm infected and you're not
I live alone here on this plot
In the Athens hood
And you won't want to enter through the signal
But you're too freaked out to not
When you're coiled volume tone

Try to cut yourself more tape
Pull it off -- infection's worse
It's orange now, it's bubbling
Take it off with tolnaftate
And secretly, precociously scratch till it blisters

Broken hands reaching out through the stones
Dayglo flags guiding the National Guard troops home
Patrolling through downtown
We're under this building
We're holding our phones up, deflated and powerless
Till we felt faint warmth from the powerlines
Why?

Direct complaints to Loss Recovery
Please direct complaints to Loss Recovery
Sincerely

H. C. Pregerson