1493

the mayor’s office

and the local comptroller

got together

to hand out

bright red stickers

with white text,

“SHAME.”

Lynn shoved his into

his cheeks,

chewed it,

kept it there

like tobacco.

You took a whole roll,

but didn’t remove any,

telling me,

they’ll come in handy

when the time comes.

I put them over my eyes

like stoplights

like dead roses

and gold coins

like it was

all I needed

with god given certainty.