poem of the day 12.28.09

taking care of me

she’s taking care of me
she tells me that we need
to stop for lunch
before we go to the bar
she says that was the problem yesterday
the reason why i woke up
with a headache
and with my stomach fucked
she says that i didn’t eat enough yesterday
just a plate of fries
and some chicken wings
and that’s why i threw up
you can’t drink all day on just
a plate of fries and chicken wings, she says
i tell her that i can’t remember
last night too well
that’s why we’re stopping for lunch
before we hit the bar, she says
she’s taking care of me, you see
neither of us want a repeat of yesterday
when i was laying in bed, green faced
laying on the bathroom floor
at her parent’s house
vomiting up a chocolate macaroon and little else
waiting to see if i could keep
a ginger ale down in between unwrapping
christmas presents
and watching old movies on television
she’s taking care of me
like no one else ever did before her
she wants to make sure that i’m all right
and it feels good to have someone
in your corner sometimes
someone like her
combing the wet and cold landscape
of her youth
trying to find a restaurant that is open for business
the day after christmas, 2009, racing
with the bars only an hour away from
putting on their lights
and getting ready to serve their first draft
of the day