alameda

alameda

bordered by trees
fenced in by promises
obligations trace pathways
into histories plotted on trajectories
not yet made
not yet traversed
virgin territory
gapping need
you manifested destiny
(or so I thought)

really, you took
transverse lines into your army
webbed together
lying to make belief
that our past was true
crosshatched communications
as your cover

you were always finishing my lines for me
constructing parallelograms
from sentences I was immediately condemned
to live.
to inhabit.
(sentience
out of habit.)

habitually
wearing you on my sleeve
as you wore on my
down-trodden mind
making pathways
of the Less Traveled
others occupied other
little spaces of my gray matter: you fought them out
evicted

for your entertainment
for your pleasure
by your hand
for public display

grounds for baiting
shaded ill intent
promised
to the kill