The junk drawer is a graveyard

The junk drawer is a graveyard

of things that used to be useful.

I found one, a dull tan loop

buried under a pile of dead batteries.

I stretched it over the stack of bills,

waiting for the snap I knew was coming.

The white welt on my wrist

showed up before the sting did,

a sudden, sharp reminder

that things only hold on for so long.