They Only Called Me "Bum" Once

From now on, you are only to give me blades of grass;

I don’t want any more of your rust

And lies about left-overs you think I’m worth

I’ve not always been here

I know what your shoes feel like

How full they are

How perfect their manufactured comfort

Ripped to shreds when

You threw the blades at me

In sharp succession the other night

And I pointed out

You were irrevocably making me die

My medicine costs less than your cigarettes

Yet you still inhale to

The demise of both you and I

Keep adding to your shrapnel sculptures

My mother told me

I’m supposed to keep tearing off parts of myself

Tearing off parts of myself jagged

Tearing off parts of myself rigged

Then I will be left a star

A supernova

And I will shine brighter

Than your knife tongues and laser eyes

I’m no preacher

But I refuse to close my mind

I once promised

If I figured out the truth

I would tell everyone

I don’t know if this will end

But I know my words
They’re to teach me

To remind me

I’m here

I’m here sleeping on the concrete

I’m here begging to keep breathing

I’m here coagulating your dust.

So if you could,

Please spare some green.