Lost that social
muscle, backstroke
that splashes all the

words my mouth
wants to say but
needs weed

for, the weeds
overgrowing
in the far

away wild.
My back
patio’s

unbearable,
its familiarity.
I want

a pool, or
someone new
to dive into

my mind
and stay
a while.

(originally published in where is the river, Winter 2021)