Gutterball California

he was standing in the archway
making claims that he could fly
badly broken,
crumpled by the wall
California was nothing at all

she was standing at the border,
soaking rags with gasoline
leaving trails
that no one else could see
California was nothing to me

she was nothing like his sister
he had nothing left to lose
golden treasures
cracked in the rear-view mirror
California, some other year