The Wandering Woods

Unclean

In the new

'Safe

House'

They had no

Brushes for our teeth.

And that's why Mercy

Had

Slightly yellow teeth

And breath like

Hell.

I loved her anyway

Because that's how I was

Out in the wild.

[but, at around the third month

Of wandering

I found an abandoned

Wal-Mart, and we bought

Brushes and paste there.

My teeth are white now. ]

When I get back to my room,

I find my brush gone

And only a cup by the

Bowl of water in my room.

I don't look much

Because I know it was taken

So lay in bed and tell the

Children to go to sleep.

Daniel accepts and settles down

While

Daniela stares at me with piercing

Green eyes.

"Daniela. Sleep."

She accepted.

I wake up in the morning

With an ugly taste in my mouth.

I don't like it.

But, did you know

That if you drink a glass of water

The taste will go away?

[Mercy must do that]

The kids do as I do

Not know it's not something you

Have to do. I wait for them by habit

And when they are done and changed

We head out.

I kiss Mercy that day

And by stars.

It's not like a shit-storm in our mouths

No--

It's like wondrous things.

It's like rain on a clear day.

Mercy kisses back,

And I'm so happy.

We pull away

When I hear Thomas coming from

A few meters away.

Mercy begins playing with the usual sweater

And I look at Thomas.

He smiles and I get up.

I leave Mercy without another word

And that's that.