by Tyler G. Freitas (Featured in Invasive)
Inspired by Sam Quinones’ The Least of Us
Exiting Embarcadero station in December
and turning toward Spear Street, I see a man
standing, slumped over like a candy cane—
wanting to spread cheer to family and friends—
but frozen in place by a pernicious fentanyl habit;
an extra bit of spice tossed into his heroin or snow
to pack him into a present, devoid of ribbons
and wrappers that would be rolled and tossed
about following the familial gift exchange—
here comes the coroner with an extra large bag
to haul away the cold, rigor mortised corpse.
