13

or if you look at it from the other side of the brick wall,
you will see a puzzled custodian
cursing and looking for a mop
in a windowless storage closet,

about to clean up some kid’s vomit that still contains
undigested alpha bits cereal pieces, which, quite strangely,
happen to spell out the custodian’s name, Phil.

To Phil, this is one of the strangest things
that has ever happened in his life
and the dead bird on the pavement
that he passes as he sneaks away from work early
is the least exciting story he has to tell when he gets to the house of his lover,

 

Refrain