Leaving by Jonathan Butcher

That coastline of brittle bones,
that I pinned with each of those
final minutes. A slight choke
from that wave of fluid, from
the spine I momentarily lost.

Those gestures emptied with each
nonchalant expression that failed
to crack when needed, like soiled
crystal devoid of reflection; I easily
pass the blame onto others.

And as that key scraped the inside
of that lock for the final time, that
pathway remained un-swept, another
chore avoided, due to never needing
that payment that cost beyond my means.

At the bus-stop, that still remains
pristine after three years spun by
seconds, the final drag of traffic
runs over the tar and concrete, the
burnt tire marks stretch as far as I can see.

Jonathan Butcher is a poet based in Sheffield, England. He has had work appear in various print and online publications including: Popshot, Ex-Ex Literature, The Transnational, Sick-Lit, Drunk Monkeys, The Morning Star, Mad Swirl and others. He edits the online poetry journal 'Fixator Press', through which his third chapbook, 'Corroded Gardens' was published.