Teenaged, a kenneled whippet
With one dandelion wish crushed flat in my collar, 
Jingling tags from pacing weeks without races. 
Dogged prey on my mind
Did nothing but whimper. 
Reprimanded, shredded lungs filled with seeds. 
A plan on a string jerked across chafed summer days, 
A hot fault starting to quake. All the chaparral foothills
Filled with looping songs in their burrows. 
Bank cracked on the carpet for tickets, 
Memorized map stuffed in the bottom of the hamper, 
New shoelaces tight for tomorrow and after. 
I waited for the yawning window to wake
Root to veil, everything burning to live. 
Hands shaking on the frame, dipping a shy leg towards the dry lawn,
A fragment of sun salted flat on the roof, ready to eat, 
Ready to crumble down my skin. 

Noll Griffin is a visual artist and writer based out of Berlin, Germany. His first poetry chapbook will be released with Naked Cat Publishing in early 2024, and in the meantime you can find his other creative projects appearing on Instagram (@nollprints) and Twitter (@nollthere).