i am going to paint

re-paint the walls

of this cell, this bountiful

shadow palace where

morning sun comes too early

too often

my couch has three legs

the pile of books is sorted

by toss, disgust &

overdue

at the paint store

i struggle

to find the appropriate tint--

Eggshell Depression,

Poor Decision with a dollop

of Ennui.

the guy minding the counter

no longer talks to me.

lucky for me

there is a shelf of cans

of mis-tints & mistakes

in the back.

sort of green, that one.

sort of mulberry smear.

on sale, too.

Travis Stephens is a tugboat captain who resides with his family in California. Recent credits include: Gyroscope Review, 2River, Sheila-Na-Gig, Tiny Seed Literary Journal, Raven’s Perch, Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Gravitas and The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature.