to my tennis shoes

i wore down your soles
with screeching brakes
at the edge of the court

abruptly cutting short
sprints and dashes
full of potential,
ending their lives
before they could
get anywhere


shoelaces that strangled
like constricting seatbelts
become slack, fall away
as my hand goes limp


rubber balls bounce
off of rubber tires,
and roll until the
energy leaves them

tired, desolate, and
unmoving like you,
i draw a painful breath

and trace cautious lines along
my dusty airways because
you can never be too careful;
the world will be rough if
you let it and the rest of me
is as fragile as my spine


i exhale silent words
in poetic form


soon to be forgotten, as
the sound of sirens loop
around twisted metal
racquets lying broken
on the side of the street


look, the sky is many
distorted shades of blue
even before it is dyed
the urgent blood red
colours preceding death


the night is for sleep, so
i close my eyes to the stars
i’ve always wanted to touch,


and apologize for never
giving you the chance to
lift us off the ground