by associaton

can’t stand men on hometrainers
or lions in tight corners
can’t stand the smell of dry grounds
glistening under my feet
waiting for them to fall down
or tourists who wait even though
the stop sign says go
or mint flavoured cigarettes
in the back of my fleece pocket
benches with snowboards or skateboards
or surfboards on top
i cannot stand the sound
of fathers and mothers
dismissing
and deferring
their child’s every need
and houses when they look so full
also
ECGs and doctors who have to use forceps
are not high on my list
text messages from strange phone numbers
send me into a fit
and hospital floors
where the smell is awful
and too familiar most of all
and of course
I cannot stand
the sunny outlook of a four year old
in all their boldness
in all their mighty inconvenience
I cannot stand
being folded again
into fatal dispositions
without the expiration date
or handlebars in sight

-D.