latex

i want to disappear, disintegrate,
wane or fade.
if any of that is too cliche for you, then
i become a dragon, made
of a thousand balloons, of many,
many colors. with the power of helium
i invoke escape: by air tonight, rushing
towards the nearest shorelines. i must
quickly distance myself from all of
these islands.

but the gulls stir at dawnbreak, and
i have not made it far. they sip
their coffee and one catches
a glimpse of me, a blot in the sun that rises
over their spread newspaper and
buttered toast.

the vengeful feathered come at me in droves, in seconds,
"pop the magic dragon," their greatest
warrior sang, in a beautiful screech, and I
thought what a war song that is, but
grateful for my rubber latex scales to fall
in battle to beaks and claws, sparing
me from unconditionally succumbing
to avian pun.

i am deflated, of all my air, my precious helium.
i am deconstructed, popped balloon by colorful balloon.
i am disintegrated, like how I wanted, raining
on mankind but not of flesh and blood, instead
of torn rubber latex like
disgusting, spent, but empty contraceptives.


but to you in the distance,
i must have been a rainbow.




2026.aug.11