Room 204

A pesticide chaser
to a mediocre life
to youth with a cause
a fighter without thought
and all the words of wisdom
offered to you in vain
all the pretty sayings
and metaphors they display

'if you lay with dogs
you will catch fleas'
'if you look below,
you probably won't leap'
'if you don't even try
you'll always be poor and lonely.'

Not so much words of wisdom
as a played out cliche
written by a thousand hearts
and minds, all the same way
you always thought you'd break the game
and develop some new rules to play
the sirens blare off in the distance
and all the lights are off
the power's gone
and it's 4AM
the sunlight will be here soon enough
to take away the darkness
but don't you really want it
to go away?

Perhaps that girl you pined for so long
will need you to keep her company
there isn't a streetlight on for miles around
remember, the girl in 204?
The one who wouldn't leave you alone...

if you lay with dogs,
you will catch fleas.


The darkness surrounds you
not a light to be seen
this town may very well be dead
and the sirens won't let you sleep
so you light a cigarette
not for light, or for nicotine
not for your addictions or your needs
because it's simply something you do
it's your sense of normalcy
and you sit there all alone
your roommates don't even know
happy and content in their lucid dreams
you are the only one who sees
the truth about Virginia Beach

And you think of what an opportunity this must be
storefronts without alarm, homes without light
you wonder if this is your true calling
we both know you'll never make it very far
in this society

if you look below,
you probably won't leap


You remember the way your exgirl
the anarchist she'll always be
would've jumped at this world
of darkness and insecurity
so why aren't your boots on yet?
that black hoodie is still in the closet?
you're almost done with that cigarette
and your thoughts aren't of profit
nor are they of meaingless promiscuity
instead, you're thinking like a poet

Poets don't make millions
and poets don't spread their seeds
poets don't command respect
like the arts of seduction and thievery
So why aren't your boots on yet?

if you don't even try
you'll always be poor and lonely.