Porcupines do not huddle together
When it is cold. Common sense &
Rejection are symbiotic in this
Reality that sets in the later years,
And have allowed way too much
Reflection as a toxic mix trying
To resolve what costs, rewards,
Plain empty enjoyment might be
Left to endure along the way
To “Sweet Perdition,” the bar on
Lower 9th that listens to our silences
And grunts a noncommital understanding
Beyond all words & absolution.