Tight
Tight as the collar of the shirt that meant it when it said 'dry clean only' Tight as the curve of the cloverleaf exit taken too fast Tight as the overpainted sash of a top floor apartment on an August afternoon Tight as the last parking spot in Lincoln Park at 2am Tight as the fists passing the panhandler asking "please" Tight as the 10th inning in November Tight as poetry Tight as dollar store jeans Tight as the lips that don't care what or when or why you didn't show, only that you didn't Tight as the throat that won't let the right words out.