lulled by the car alarms

and winter smoke

the trash filled cigarettes

paper bag princess

keeps watch

from the west side

to the east side

village to village

eyes darting

fishnets flashing

paper bag princess

dive bar to street car

the dizzy smell

her crinoline skirt

frostbit toes

caked with dirt

paper bag princess

under bridges deep

fire wings flap

under her feet

the rats keep track

and sew her dress

before she sleeps

princess

She kisses boys in corners

but she never takes them home

The three black walls and she

are enough to heal the burn

her lipstick sticks to t-shirt collars

and then she sends them home.

when she was a little girl

there was a flower that

it always seemed to love

it had yellow lips, a sunkissed tongue

it reminded her where she was

you never woke up today because

you never went to sleep

on rooftops knots and fire escapes are

where your eyelids nestle in

to keep

icicle lights and frosted glass

the tonic bottle

bone dry from class

and your eyes

shut wide on endless tile

and cold against your cheek

keeping you awake

you crush and kiss

the booming bass

lollipop lights

then eyes dart and friends melt

into shadows on the floor

you're alive and dancing

pretty, pretty girl

pretty zombie