petite mouths

it begins the night before

when in excess you consume,

one must dare to continue

and not sleep so soon

but let the elixir take hold

of your thoughts

and words

and inhibitions

until the wee hours

when you are babbling

and fading away into darkness.

ditch work in the morning

and sleep until early afternoon,

light a cigarette,

spend the next hour outside

with a big jug of orange juice

plus coffee or a Red Bull,

listen to the birds sing

and the squirrels rustle

through the trees

calling out to you

with petite mouths

and enormous eyes.

you must not fight

the thumping of your skull,

the rumbling of your belly

or the vacancy of your mind,

nor the vanity of your soul

as screams for remorse echo

from scattered carcasses nearby.

watch the flitting steam

of the bare freight whisk by,

taking to the wind,

dissolving into the sky;

let birds soothe

with songs of peace

and harmony

while petite mouths assure

that you are all right.