nails

i bought a book

was reading it on the subway

looked at my sneakers

saw through my sneakers

couldn't stop thinking about the nail and read

thought i should cut my toenails

in case when i got drunk later

my shoes and socks came off

and people saw my long yellow nail

hanging above my big toe

with those little black collections of

whatever under the edges

but if i clip it i feel like the whole

nail will shatter because it is unhealthy

i cannot keep reading and not think of

the toenail

i feel the toenail on the back of my tongue

im afraid if i clip it

the nail will shatter

the words in the book put pressure

on the nail and make me cringe

i feel that toenail shattering

it is making me make a face

that i have to hide behind the book