There are pebbles underfoot
I ve been kicking them for an hour now

The sun, like a diamond,
burrowing
burrowing

I shut my eyes and the world goes sideways
the colors of vomit
blues against reds

My second skin is running
I am a candle, feeling my skin tighten
dripping into my shadow as I trudge

The highway shoulder flexes its leaden corpuscles
out
into the sky

No sign of a car
nothing but 7 miles of heat
before anything

I check my pockets for the 15th time
I come up with the same soaked square of paper
and squash it so that its mouth leans open
I check the interior again
nothing

My face is old
seven days of  beard and head creeps
though the winding sunlight screaming
a headache

My jaws clench against teeth that will never pay for themselves

I pull the square of paper out of my pocket and tear the top off in frustration
something tumbles to the ground through my searching fingers
two somethings
I laugh and smile
I pick up the damn things and smile
"sneaky bastards", I say to them
"thought you could avoid me, eh?"
i stick one of the Camels in my mouth
feeling it instantly adhere to my lower lip

I make a mock inhale
spitting out a bit of tobacco
Seven damn miles...

I stare into the sun
blinking back the everything

What i wouldn't do for a light