it's all right 

---

he turned off the hot water
pulled back the shower curtain
and began to towel himself off

first his chest
then his arms
then his face

that's when
his eyes began to
burn
itch
maddeningly
so he scrubbed them harder
with his towel but they only
itched more began to ache
so he scrubbed harder
deeper with his fingers
pressed with his thumbs
until with a plop
his eyeballs
rolled out of his head
onto the the floor of the shower
and were sucked down the drain

though he didn't seem to mind
as he somewhat tripped over the
rim of the tub
stuffed the bath towel
back into the rack
went slowly downstairs
and with some trouble
lit a cigar

he sat at the kitchen table
puffing on his Black & Mild
while his cat paced in quick circles
meowing concernedly

shut up Rosie, he said
it's all right

Rosie jumped up into his lap
tilted her head curiously at him
then licked the spot on his nose
between the two dark hollows
and she
watched him blow a perfect
smoke ring then stuck her paw
through it and sneezed

he set the cigar in the ashtray
and scrubbed Rosie's cheeks

every thing would be
all right now

without the ugliness

the ugliness
of the buildings
and the billboards

of the bumper stickers
and the tailgaters

of the cracked sidewalks
and the empty storefronts

of the manager's mustache
and the assistant's bowtie

of the false and
pale sun lighting
all the faces gnawed
by wait & worry

it's all right

---

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