I don’t know how you do it;
don’t get overwhelmed
by the smog of sudden silence
like fingers on your throat
after the engine is cut

In that pause
it’s like the world is falling
in on top of you
in that driveway of a rented house
in a leased car owned by the bank
that you liked last year
but like a little less this year

When the radio ceases its dirty talk
and the success of the day
has become a shadow
it takes such strength
to take your next breath

I truly admire you