vestigial

brought a brick back from the alley we lived in,
tried to see the fireplace as something
other than a mantle/we couldn’t afford
the gas? you sure?, we’re drinking soda
24/7, no, seriously, waking up at
1am for a coke/not the white stuff,
nothin’ hard, just a little pick-me-up,
high fructose adrenaline pumpin’ in
me while i tried to be a better son;
not going to fight anymore, nah,
not worth the agony my mother had
because of me, but… i’m not a punk,
not a chump, i just won’t fight back,
but i’ll outlast you because you’re
both of those; don’t see reluctance
of another as an advantage over
who you just can’t control,
even though you tried and i refused
to supply that vestigial need to be
dominant or dominated.