the feeling (after Sam Sax)

the party was swirling inside the house. he was on the porch,

lined up with other kids. the only warmth exhaled from a lighter. mary

jane and cigarettes, lungs emptied into the silent air. it drew a tiny crowd,

who proposed he join their cookout. he wedged

the thin white between his chapped lips

and watched the ring slide down the devil’s finger.

he stepped into the party, color burnt and fading.

his mouth agape, each smidge of jello felt a thousand

vibrant ecstasies. a nomad in search of another half.

a girl alone joins for fun. one taste of lips became sex.

her mouth sweetens the coffee. her suck

invites a twitching ooze of cream. a shadow

of childhood, the boy fell into the comfort of the girl

and disappeared until he jerked awake to greet the burning sun.