Chicago

Strung between Astoria and another hotel
plane full of pretty girls
tousled heads on lover’s shoulders,
wish I were one
but my shoulder is sleeping
in the bed I left unmade.
I was so good at leaving,
before I met you.
Before I met you,
I left everyone I ever loved.

Shove worry behind skull skeletons,
slam the door before this speed can slip
through bony fingers, slide into my eyes.
Go back to sucking your dick in a dirty public bathroom,
we’re better at sex than fear.
You first said you loved me
while the guy who loved kissing you
was fucking me
straddling you.
The light on this flight is warmer than early winter
on your face two hours later
over decaf coffee and religion,
another 8am diner dinner.
Perfect.

We build tomorrow every day of our lives.
Funny how you can be aware of something for years
without giving much of a damn,
then wake up one day
and find the most exciting thing your world’s ever known.
Tomorrow we can be anything we want.
Is the ennui I suffered from
Common to our cohort?
Modern life prescribed
School 5 to 25
Work till death
The chronicled coma epidemic.

Familiar as frightening,
so similar as to seem a known commodity.
Safe, whether or not it’s true
bound
to happen
Let’s make it so,
quicksilver dawn
after today’s heavy thunderstorms.
leave milk out,
I’ll come round more often.
Death's too common to leave emotion unexplored
looking at you, I feel.