ON A LATE AFTERNOON IN
AUGUST A MAN BEGS
CLEMENCY

His breath uneven he rounds the corner of the third floor landing after having climbed three flights of stairs his breath uneven huffing and puffing he rounds the corner while the sun sets in the gray and orange sky and the sweat rolls down his back as he rounds the corner of the third floor landing the fingernail moon on his right he reaches the door the red door beside which she has left the trash on the third floor landing on a blistering afternoon in August after three flights of huffing and puffing he leaves a rose by the trash while the clouds float by drunk on love he rounds the corner of the landing reaches the stairwell and descends