I watched polyester fiberfill secrete from tear ducts in an effort to prove I was still capable of giving people something to rub between their fingers
on tuesdays
they conducted a pageant for what was lost
some danced or sang
or pulled plastic balls from a spinning cage
or ate shrimp that hadn’t defrosted
or decorated the things that carried them
from room to room
and wondered how long they’d be there
and where their kids had gone