A new pair of weekdays
opening the possibility for rest and maintenance
without 6 P.M. Metrolinks or 6 A.M. Ubers.

A new pair of circular glasses
closing a cycle of blurred vision
foreshadowing my upcoming spiraling.

A new pair of adult braces
tightening a bittersweet end
to years of guiltful neglect.

A new pair of coping mechanisms
one for the short weekend nights
one for the never ending week days.

A new pair of sunglasses
indoors for the club lights
hoping people don’t remember my face.

A new pair of Autry sneakers
taking a step backwards to college
like the Nikes I wore after Frank Ocean.

A new pair of eel tattoos,
that I’ll have in every city
that I’ll have when I die.

A new pair of therapy sessions a week,
catastrophizing filtering stages of grief
a high tolerance for pain a lack of compassion.

An end to a pair
A restart to long hair.