Chris’s Villanelle

That’s because it’s a burn from 

the cheap polyester socks that rub against skin.   

Every time I slide I get some

new scrape on top of the old one.

The healing process can’t begin.    

That’s because it’s a burn from     

being fast enough, or dumb           

enough to make the slide, again

to second. Every time I slide I get some

rush of feeling I didn’t have before.

I just quit smoking

because it’s like burning from

the inside out. I must have smoked a ton

and I never really let anyone in.

Sometimes I slide and I get some

cigarettes, just to have some

security, just in case I need a clip

to keep me from the burn, from

feeling every time I slide.