43. strange animals

i wanted you to be the third of my lovers
to live off of holly street

so when i knowingly wandered
into the neighborhood
over a mile from my house
november chilled winded
small hot coffee
wrist supported, finger wrapped 
my dog drawing my body forward
tracing the smells and steps 
of the dogs before -

with their hypersensitive noses
and hypersensitive ears
and calloused paws,
dogs are such strange animals -

we would pass your houses
and my dog could trace the smells and steps
of the dogs before
and I could trace the smells and steps
you used
to get me into your houses
off of holly street -
wrist supported finger wrapped
knowingly wandering over a mile
you strange animals
drawing my body forward

because i wanted you to be the third of my lovers
to live off of holly street
and as coincidence would have it
you would've been the third of my lovers
i simultaneously met and bedded
whilst drinking whiskey and psilocybin
a combination resulting in the most
hypersensitive of noses.

and as coincidence would have it
you would have been the third of my 
psilocybin and whiskey-intoroduced
holly street living lovers
whom i met at a music festival
in a dusty part of texas
in the heat of summer
the temperature situation
highlighting the hypersensitivity of the ears.

and if we're being honest
we'll admit
it is no longer coincidence 
that you would have been the third
psilocybin whiskey holly street music dust
what a strange animal you all were -

who was also a musician
playing your music to morocco and back
and i'm here
wandering around holly street
my body drawn forward by cold november dust
fingers wrapped in hot psilocybin whiskey coffee
nose, ears, calloused paws all alert and aware -

just another strange animal
tracing smells and steps.