escalator

she liked
the dead malls

the empty aisles
and shadowy stores
beckoned her to look

and look again

but the escalator
with its terrible whining
grinding sounds

would warn her of
imminent danger

and the perpetual
movement of stairs
were too slippery to stand on

and always seemed to go
way too fast

as if catapulting you
towards the chik fil a
above

where the Lord's chicken
was always available

except on sundays
when the mall
was extra dead

and the sound of
beatles muzak in
your ears

was only there to hide
the beating of your heart

and the desperate
wheezing of the
escalator

(ware)