mouthguard.

i grind teeth
in my sleep.
she says
from stress—
i say from
watching
carwrecks
in passenger
seats.
she says i
still need a
mouthguard.

 

autumn.

rain falls.
leaves change.
people shift.
flings end.
love begins.
autumn settles in.

 

funeral.

we drove for miles.
for a blue dress
& makeup.
the pastor preached promise
but i lied awake
& stared at the white ceiling

 

bathtubs.

miss you
like i miss sitting in
bathtubs of peroxide
to treat a bloody foot.
miss you
like i miss fear
having a door open
& lights on.

 

teenage runaway.

life is short.
thought about running
to become stow away
that sleeps in dugouts,
travels the state &
comes back with stories to tell

~Thomas Dunn