your face turns red, shades
of pink flash across the flesh
as fast as a diuretic.
clutch your stomach,
and hate that you love
what’s fluttering inside.

sometimes when you freeze a tape,
mid-tracking, you can see things
that aren’t there.
excitement is a function that intends
to disappoint at some point
in the near future.

get used to it,
there’s no happy on the other side.
pull out of the contract
while you still can.
consider yourself lucky to be alive.