Truth

Truth or dare she bellows across the living room floor
Truth I say
And we giggle together
Knowing we are bound up in a web of deceit
We check the numbers perfectly
But they never add up
The whole word seems stacked against us at times
All I need is cans and the red bed
And me silly she squeals
Yes Alice always you
You are my thief and truth bearer
There is nothing left to do
Not whilst the cans are gone
And my memory is restored.

Bonded

We are stuck together like glue
Each day an eternity
Always waiting
Barely breathing
The holes in our chest moving up and down
As we pace
Around and around
We listen for the sound of the metal gate
Long for bed and sleep
She gets inpatient
Why can't you just get up and go out
I can't answer
All I know is we have each other.

Running

We are in constant movement
Never allowed to rest
We drink the sweet tea
Look at the crumpled sheets
It's all too much to untangle
There is a pile of rubbish in the hallway
We cannot bear to throw it out
It is us
The thing we cannot name
Running on empty
Sound jangling
Black bags full
We wish to wear our shoes again
But for now we shuffle around in our socks
Lost and empty
Always on the search for the next fix
And the next
We look at the crumpled bed
All too much to fix.

Barter

We barter our trade like silver pennies
Up and down all the time
Always constant
Alice is a little scared
I tuck her under the covers
I will not let anyone in
Just run out for powder
Chest aching from the burns
We barter our trade like silver pennies
Up and down all the time.