Billy My Friend, The Saint Poem by Zachary Rice

like ink on laminate, or an empty beach,
my kisses are not kissed back.
And in each rejection i think of my mother's dog,
with a furtive smile on his face, preparing for play.

to him there is no doubt, he knows its coming
and i cant refuse him

like ink on laminate, or an empty beach,
theses days are so segregated now.
And in each segragation i think of my ex lovers pet turtle
bracing for liftoff from the cool green gravel of a plastic terarium.

billy the turtle was never meant for outer space
but if i had to i could get him there
i would light his fuse,
mission control.

two themes of my life are watching television and waking up late.
was there ever any doubt?
brittle bones remind me of matching thrones
we bought from ikea.

like ink on laminate, or an empty beach,
january runs towards december.
soon enough it walks back,
and my mother's dog, or my ex's turtle
are just animal shapes now.