Thinner Than Blood

Blood lines cut into
Urban landscapes
As we plan for our escapes
From small towns and small minds
Our youth confines
Familial relations replaced
In these new places
By these chosen faces
Who we add to our lives
Like husbands choose wives
But where does loyalty lie
When we need it most
When we’re raw
When we fall
When our thick blood thins
And spreads on pavement
Broken skin on hard cement
We are this series of transitory moments
We sit alone in small rooms
In tall buildings
Wanting more
Are we not just strangers?
We put on airs and pretend
As we deadbolt the door
We scurry around the alleys of this city
Like rats seeking
Nibbles of love
Scraps of dignity
Crumbs of loyalty
Starving for attention
For connection
To be known
Wanting more
But we come up short
And alone