(So many women began altogether disappearing at the rise of the room rental cottage industry that Craigslist tightened its parameters for anonymity, in order to head off the rising flood of family lawsuits)

*****

Recorded Reading (0:58): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/440jtt094ga6iayjeazrf/Shock-Collar.m4a?rlkey=bkndhaaxss13j1q8he992bc4v&dl=0

*****

Shock Collar

You’ve been renting
This room for about a month now

Time enough for their stories
To start not adding up

(Hard to tell, though
With those heavy accents)

Enough for oh so casual inquiries
About the existence of any

Family or friends
In your world

You’ve found their collar,
Wonder if they left it for you to see

Wonder whether if you ever pulled
The safety cord in your room

Those security bars would actually
Let you out

*****