by LJ Frank
angst arrives in multiple flavors
inked on frozen cartons
situated next to the betting counter
a clerk notes vanilla anxiety is popular
but the bourbon mint chip melts
on the tongue, regardless of girth
inevitably the mouth lusts in want
for the promise of a smile on satiated lips
while the pedigrees study the gallop
of the agile muscled legs pounding
the imprint hoof carvings become an earthy collage
wealth’s Gospel is printed in gold markings
and long ears perk up assessing whispered offers
the secret of who gives the best head is shared
where an enclave speaks in its preferred language
while dreaming in cinematic color
and the noir of the adjacent neighborhood
is being filmed to the sound of black & white jazz
and the dim lit streets of the half-forgettable
aging is a vessel the heart knows well
still, the mortals fashionably pose
to acknowledge things are heating up
while wearing shaded nouveau eyeglasses
and a few wear binoculars as a necklace
positioned over their bosom
it’s whatever comforts the soul of the believer
the virtual is a shadowy reflection
and artificial lighting effectuates sophistication
as disrobing the mind is an art.