two feigned smiles in a bargaining crowd.
eyes that hide away in a corner.
shoulders that brush against each other.
unaffected by their touching.
a carny chirrups epithets.
we are bought and sold like kitsch.
children scuttle past with silly faces
releasing their grip on balloon strings.
the rudiments of physical chemistry.
purple hearts and crocodiles
rival for the sky.
horses shake their heads and sigh.
we're the joke of the fair this year.
i'll meet you by the whipping post.
i'll gawk at you.
you'll gawk at me.
we'll connect somehow in agony.