nail art

i don't really want to be soft. 
i want to be a picture frame
or a mounted deer head looking over
the whole world. god once took his shoes off
before he walked into my bedroom.
the tiniest flower. the tweezered ivy.
three years ago i was so in love
i ate fingernails standing in the bathroom
at the house on a terrible avenue.
everyone loves a small [   ]. i could
give you a list of reasons i won't be
coming back. at least there are 
salons in hell i'v heard. it's cheaper too
because all the money catches fire. 
palms of loose soot. 
i'm leaving tips on the sidewalk 
for all the people who met their required
however-many steps we're supposed to take.
motion sensor light in my heart.
lots of men waving like "hello"
when really it's a "never come back."
there's a bowl of daisies i save
for occasions like this where 
i need to evaporate but my blood
is too sturdy. the tests always come back
singing like church nights. who could
have predicted? i hold onto life 
by the pinky. your garden is looking
edible & a little wilted. i used to have
a pen pal who would roll themself 
into a knuckle's worth of words
but then they were gone. empty 
envelops all the way down. when we live
in the same passageway i'll make sure
to give you triumph as you pass.
little gold foil flowers & a turnip or two. 
it's easy to win me over. it's also easy
to get over me. show me your cuticle.
i can be that small.