i met a man while train hopping
would you sell me your laugh
he asked
in exchange
i will write your life story
as one that people will want to read

he winked to beckon me closer
you know,
there’s no desire in omnipotence
a man could go mad
among all the easy questions he said
until then we’ll demand easy answers
to tide over the sadness

so what’s a smile
when the lights have gone out