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.