Little Iris Wrong-Way Goes

Iris, Iris, hush your head,

who put stones inside your bed?

~

Not the moon.

Not the rain.

Just the hands

that taught you pain.

~

Tiny shoes

on broken roads,

kiss the frogs,

carry loads.

~

Pretty lights,

ugly men,

Iris tries

the dark again.

~

Candy smiles,

sticky doors,

knees go red

on bedroom floors.

~

Day says run.

Night says stay.

Little parts

that fall away.

~

One more laugh.

One more bruise.

One more game

you did not choose.

~

Iris, Iris, count to ten.

Death is coming.

~

Not yet.

~

Again.

~

So up you get

with crooked toes,

wipe your mouth

and wear your woes.

~

Round the bend

where no light grows,

~

little Iris

wrong-way goes.

.