so tired

head leaden on weary neck
eyelids suffer
stretching from rim to red rim

dark bags of tender skin
migrate south
into cheekbone territory

shoulders cave
under the weight
of twisted bra straps

ribs fold and collapse
like cheap
Chinatown fans

pelvis tips forward
a too-heavy pitcher
in the hands of a too-small child

arthritic knees stiffen
and surrender
abdicating the throne of responsibility

ankles curl around chair legs
like the gloved hands
of a drunken debutante

and feet dangle inertly
trapped in shoes against their will
powerless to flee