Jessalyn Johnson

Just Enough Luck

One pigeon guards one egg
at the stairwell on the fourth floor
thinking, maybe, that there is only
hope until there isn’t, as if anyone
is able to make that choice for themselves.
Stay within the realm of sincerity
for what it’s worth, if anything—
if you are choosing to lie just mean it
and charge the new year with the chore
of tending to neglected responsibilities
like premium devastation
or the nest torn apart
at the place where fear
and the illusion of purpose
meet and shake hands.
Upward of the ground floor,
swept steps lead
directly to accusations
under the mirage of cavalier success,
conclusory and erroneous.