Rain hit hard on the church-side roof Neon cross flickered black then blue Room upstairs for twenty bucks cash “Don’t ask questions” written in the dust I rented a room where the hallways leaned Floorboards talked in broken creaks Landlord grinned with cigarette teeth Said “ghosts stay free but the heat costs extra” Across the hall stayed a sharp-dressed ghost Hair combed clean, eyes dead broke Every mirror cracked near the sink Whenever he laughed or tried to drink Downstairs sat a sailor in red gloves Counted revenge like unpaid love Said “mercy cheap, vengeance rich” Then toasted the wall like it answered him Everybody hiding something small Till the dark turns it seven feet tall Slow limp Drag that chain Every room got a different name No sleep Past midnight Somebody laughing when the lights die Who locked the doors From the inside out? Who moved the chair When nobody around? Slow limp Drag that sound Truth comes ugly when it circles back around Low bass crawl Vinyl hiss Crooked piano and distant sirens Woman downstairs in moon-white lace Smiled too calm for that shaking place Stole silver spoons and pocket watches Said “pretty things hate staying honest” Children danced in paper masks Marching bands while thunder cracked Whole town drunk on parade-day wine Meanwhile somebody screamed off-time I wrote down names in a notebook fast Morning came and the letters laughed “Saint” turned “stain” in smeared black ink Coffee shook while the ceiling blinked Funny thing about guilt It dresses clean for dinner Then steals your wallet in the hallway While calling you “dear winter At exactly twelve-fifteen Every lock clicked shut at once Still footsteps crossed the attic slow Like sorrow wearing heavy boots The sailor vanished mid-sentence Chair still rocking by itself The sharp-dressed ghost quit showing up But somebody kept using his breath Slow limp Drag that chain Every secret got a different face No sleep Cold moonlight Somebody whispering through the pipes Who hid the truth Behind the wall? Who painted smiles Before the fall? Slow limp Drag that sound Truth comes ugly when it circles back around Drums stutter Bassline bends Choir hums like broken engines Fast whispers left then right channel Footsteps pan across the headphones “don’t look up” “don’t ask why” “don’t trust beauty with perfect eyes” I climbed upstairs at dawn alone Found one locked room with no windows shown Portrait faced toward peeling wood Breathing soft where the candle stood I said “who keeps pacing every night?” Portrait grinned without a mouth in sight Said “everybody here stole somebody else’s tragedy” Then the church bell rang thirteen times Floodwater swallowed the piano wires Moon-mask lady disappeared by noon Sailor’s gloves still smelled like perfume Slow limp Slow limp Slow limp Slow limp Slow limp Slow limp Slow limp Slow limp Slow limp Slow limp
