Bloody Birthday

Yesterday she asked me if I wanted to go to the store
I knew the lady at the counter
every time I passed
she looked at me
I don't know, really, but she looked at me with those
zombie eyes
like the result of a Haitian Voodo rite
in the night
and put on a smile dripping with honey blood
and said have a nice day
sure
a very nice day
when it's raining and my pen goes dry
it's always my pen
a blue erasable
black, or red like that bloody sidewalk
last night
this guy was stabbed with a nail file
his mouth open in
surprise! happy birthday!
sweet sixteen
21 — you're legal now
like that paper in the copy shop
or that envelope that's always just the right size
do you want to go to the store?
sure.