The Suitcase That Won't Close

The zipper caught again—

frayed thread bites the metal teeth,

a stubborn mouth refusing silence.

Inside, a crumpled map

folded wrong, edges brittle,

a tangle of receipts and old train tickets

pressing against the torn lining.

Dust gathers like fine ash

in the crevices of canvas,

locked in, loose ends unraveling

while the lock hangs open,

a dull weight I can't shed.