Inside

stimulus checks are arriving for us inside
follow the money
and you’ll often see what suffers most in its absence
and of course food, hygiene, and miscellaneous things are being bought
but you know what the most money is spent on?
phone time.
so what does that tell you?

there once was a spider
that came out the blue
crawled from out of my sandal
that I dropped next to my boots
he looked right at me
like, who are you
as we both stood there waiting
for the other to make the next move
surprised, and hesitated from a fear of spider
but I knew just what I had to do
and as I gathered the courage
my friend stepped in, and smashed him with his shoe
so it became a story to tell
as a new bond had bloomed
because he was helping me
not just keeping the spider out of another room
and that moment became a light
through a day that started in gloom

but this is what you didn’t get from this story
it wasn’t just that he stepped in to kill a spider
he was protecting the little that we have
this is our world,
all intrusions aren’t forgiven
so we are lonely here
and he did what he did to gain a friend
having more than a story to tell-
one to share
this was a bridge for friendship
we do for each other
we stick together
and that spider is now stuck to the ground
let that be a symbol for something deeper

there are metal detectors here
searching for lost and unseen treasures
the correctional officers get excited
and go hunting for the rewards
so they take their wands and seek
they should be disappointed when they find prison treasure
because it isn’t the same treasure you seek out in society
but they get excited when they find knives
because then they can punish
though they enforce in the guise of being able to protect
the sad thing is
it’s that many knives around to where the magic wand treasure hunters are needed…

there’s this bunny
the bunny visits me
outside of my window every night
I haven’t seen anyone for so long
maybe the bunny can sense that
the ears erect as I call out a name
the name is “Bugs”
after my now second favorite “wascaly” bunny rabbit-
“Bugs Bunny”
I throw food for him
so he can eat for his travels
that way we both win
maybe the payment makes him less of a friend
but not to me
because in here, you pay for what you want
and I want, no, need, a friend
so nothing is beneath me acquiring my desire
nor too high a price to pay when you feel alone
words aren’t need
I feel joy just watching his curiosity and freeness
what peace he must know
and the irony of it basked within the confines of my imprisonment
but Bugs is my friend-
though we respect each other’s social distance
he doesn’t know me as a prisoner
he just sees me
he understands that I am there
but not why I am
though he is comfortable enough to lower his head and ears from erect
as he dozes off, and then straightens to clean himself
before bouncing off towards jack-
his other friend that accompanies us every so often,
he’s more adventurous,
never staying in one place for too long-
but all the other nuances between I and bugs,
get lost in the soundless,
and formless air between us two
friendship is mechanics
a formality of prolonged company
more a necessary social function of survival
emotions are more a construct of combined experiences
he, on one side of the window
and I, on the other
but both at the same place, sharing this world
despite our barriers
we do not need any more than what we have
contentment-
aligning our cordial connection observance and reverence of one another
expectations bear consequences of let downs
besides, Bugs and I, are content as we are
and with who we are
’til tomorrow night Bugs!
bring Jack if he’s around!
though his moments are more fleeting,
but cherished never the less