Drown the boy in coffee,
stick a biscuit in his mouth. Let questions crumb
and sweep away
on a tongue of river, a flush of sun.
You’re over the bridge,
sun’s lighting up your head, you’re over and loving
the dip of the river. There’s coffee
in your mouth and you flick
flick fingers over book spines,
cool and curving out to touch. Not the dip
the line of his back, warmth
electric sweet like mocha. Instead
press skin to flushed polysterene,
advertisements. Walk fast,
buy more, drink drink drink.
Drown the boy in river and sun
and the flush of light on hair. Stack his back
with books, stuff Suetonius
in his mouth. Sweep crumbs
from the bed, resist the dip and river
of sheets. Work faster, make money money
money. Drink drink
forget.