Speakers

breaking through his defenses parents argue outside words bleached that wash to squalor his boyhood bubble his angel missing in a roasted heat that strips wallpaper politeness he pins red wax lips on his teddy bear as curses breeze past like clouds de-coupling his teddy bear who utters no evil can shift the narrative to anchor missing pieces fake, furry therapist who hears a boy's words whispered to the walls that question clover living stuffed animal toy in gallant wax lips that won't scream in neon that won't steal a child's game that won't gulp a bite of crazy a telltale pleasure to draw a boy's belief to harbored endings to others, rose-lipped, who'll speak a different pitch Poem composed: May 3, 2021 Open Poetry 4 Poetry Contest Sponsor: Charlotte Puddifoot