Paranoia

Paranoia’s clarity is acute

A quick connection

To sniffling and stiflings

The coughs that come to cover you

The fear that I

Would like to push aside

Rooted in reasoning so

How do I make 5

Line up the holes on my head and

Tell them “go inside”

Every Streetlights shining

The neighbor kids keep crying

Another beatings coming

Surprising as another gun in

The hospital

Won’t fix you up

The cops in school

And the doors locked

Rip off the mask fused to my face

The heat of life recirculates

Behind a barrier I try