dIRT eATER

All of her plants had first names

She’d water them

And pluck their dead leaves

She’d coo 

To them

Carressing them

As she stared out the window

At the silent 

Railroad tracks

Their dirt smelled good

She couldn’t help herself

Taking a pinch of soil

From each pot

Putting it in her mouth

Chewing slowly

Enjoying

The earthy loam

She was a spinster

Spending all of her time alone

In her apartment

With her topiaries

Succulents

Herbs

And palms

She ate the dirt daily

She thought about it while at work

Sometimes

Pressing her tongue to her teeth

During the busride

Working out any remains

Of potting soil

As the other commuters

Worked on coffee

Or breakfast

Paying her

No attention

Dog Dung

There’s more cop beatings

And killings.

It’s in the news every day now.

As if to take away

From all of the other 

Unjust shit

That 

I 

You

Have to deal with

On the daily.

Life has become so difficult.

Maybe it always was.

I’m walking 

In the cold dark rain

With my senior dog

Wondering

How I will take care of him

When the time arises.

When he’s really old.

My insurance won’t cover it.

I have no money.

I lose sleep over 

Thinking about how 

I will take care of even myself.

I bend over with a bag

In the light of my iPhone.

I search in the wet grass

For his stools

And pick his shit up.

Because I know

There are cops 

Out there 

That will shoot first

If you don’t 

Pick up your dog’s

Doo-doo.