Kristen de Kline #72 - living dangerously

admit it you've always liked living
dangerously     residing so close to tracks you can easily lift
yellow preventive bars open the emergency access gates
your son showed you how to get around the security measures
you're proud of that, he's learnt well: resistance is always possible
they don't advertise the 'incidents' in the press
for fear of copy-cats     but he shows you the bar to push upwards the gate latch to unlock
you could be running late scared     running
     out of time     not sleeping eating washing
gelling up your hair plastering foundation on flesh      you could be

Bret Easton Ellis said people were afraid to merge on freeways in Los Angeles
that line got tangled in Clay's mind for an uncomfortably long time
it wasn't really about driving home from LAX or steering towards on-ramps
what does Clay think they'll do - collide? caress each other's steel frames?
were they afraid to merge     but not on freeways
to touch     when nothing else mattered     but a few throwaway
words     about merging not merging     nothing
else seems to     matter     when you're not
     afraid

do people sniff out fear on freeways train-tracks airport off-ramps
do we write our way out of it     lying in bed, sleeping (not)
swearing the photograph on the wall is dangling uneasily
swinging     like a noose
hesitating, but not for long
then toppling across your throat, neatly guillotining
the critical arteries   what a relief
not a drop of blood     not a merging of tear drops
on American freeways Melbourne train tracks       what a relief
no blood sweat tears   no fear of merging      just lines that stay in your head
for an uncomfortably
     long time