Almost walked through red lights
Remembering you
Same ale house on corner
Same shade of blue.
Astute in my posture,
I strode across steps.
And up into doorway
Muddied boots wept.
First tasted your jaw
against these flaked walls.
Sometimes showed up earlier
Anticipating your call.
Well now, enough of the torture
I punched plaster, then left.
Bled from fourth knuckle,
But that's just what I do best.
Fighting for you even now,
and really, for what?
So you could shut my mouth,
and pull out courtroom stunts?
Swearing on the Good Book
That I was a drunkard
A slacker in the evenings
And sleeper in the junkyards.
Making jury grab stomachs
In laughing eruption.
Embarrassing me before my kids
Causing them to form assumptions.
The first taste of liquor
Did enter my gaping.
When you gave me notice
That we would be dating.
And meeting up Tuesday
At posh cliched pub
To toss out some Cricket
And pour back some chug.
Then grasping my webbing
With your soft formed hands
You gave me the passion
Spontaneously planned.
Every Tuesday night
Became Thursday too.
And sometimes on Sunday
Those brisk afternoons.
But Fridays you kept me
At far distances.
Left me with movies
And half-filled pie tins.
Just stepping out with girlfriends
Two hours at most.
Five in the morning
I'm inhaling burnt toast.
Bruises on forearms
And after-shave musk
Hair twined with vomit
And lipstick declares bluffs.
Counseling rampant
The bills came too soon.
Foreclosure Impending
But you will be home soon.
So I opened up the wet bar
And lit the furnace with pine.
You strode in unconscious
But you freaked me out fine.
Swung nails into cheekbone
Called me slouching, corrupt.
I branded you Disparity
The name of my gut.
Claimed to cops that I constrained you
Tied you down and touched you wrong.
Sanchez said to book it
Get this wreck where he belongs.
Thought of kicking out the caging
Pulling Glocks from holster straps
And finding you to kiss you
At any cost, take you back.
Forty hours in solitary
Fighting cellmate in the hall
Bail not met until the 15th
Thanks to parent collect call.
Set free in daytime
But rather I wish the night.
Father wouldn't see eyes closing
Ignoring every drop of advice.
Just want to see you
Call your name out.
Shred your dress
And press the blame out.
Get me hung up
And strung up by feet
Like the first time
When you said we would meet.
Honorable mention
Silver trophy winner
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