The alligator with the cardboard mouth. The whipped cream on the stairs. Hollow clang. Syncopated clatter.

The brighter colors remind me of childhood. Not that adulthood has been faded yellows or softening greys. But a luminescent green or radiant orange triggers my primary nostalgia.

The set is bare. The slice of bread reads 5 in ketchup. A lazy harmonica.

When time runs out here, it starts over there. Follow the alligator king.