Best Poems Written by Payton Mansfield

The Bus At Night

The? ?stench? ?of? ?old? ?cigarettes? 
?follows? ?him? ?to? ?his? ?seat 
He? ?scrounges? ?in? ?a? ?tattered sack? ?
to? ?avoid? ?the? ?stare 
of? ?a? ?woman? ?with? ?smooth? ?skin 

He? ?didn’t? ?always? ?have? ?the? ?craters? ?in? ?his? ?cheeks 
Or the wires in his chin

He? ?tells? ?me? ?he’s? ?seen? ?me? ?before  
I? ?laugh? ?
and? ?cross? ?my? ?legs? ?tighter 

This pencil skirt is not armor
except in a desk chair

With? ?nothing? ?to? ?flash? ?but? ?a? ?jagged? ?yellow? ?smile,
he tells? ?me? 
?to? ?have? ?a? ?nice? ?night

Copyright © Payton Mansfield | Year Posted 2017