wanting and needing etch
shadows
into old outfits and
hair greased by fingers,
running through each strand
like the more you feel it,
the realer you will become
the fabric gets tighter,
the jewelry clenches your wrist
while you linger
just slightly longer than you should have
so your glasses squeeze your temples,
the clips dig through harder concrete
as your feet plead for absolution
but still, you linger
you sing
as you run into the next act
with every loss of breath
and tightening of your chest,
you’re able to remind yourself
that you were real