poemS of the day 07.04.13

independence day

she tells me

to come in for the fireworks

while i’m

wondering if i’ll still have

a job by july

the fireworks are beautiful

she says

as i’m shutting the blinds

and cursing the sun

they come in red and blue

and purple and green

they light up the city

she tells me

while i think about piercing

the tips of my fingers

with a rusty

bobby pin

just for the hell of it

the fireworks will take

care of everything

like the job and the bills

you just need to see

some kind of beauty

in this life

pray and believe in god

she says

while i drink warm beer

wipe away broken glass

and try to untangle the noose

she tells me that the fireworks

spread for miles

they make kids laugh

the adults feel young

all right, all right

i tell her

you’ve won this time

but the next time you call

i’ll be in the closet

wrapped up in a blanket

soaked with gasoline

wondering where

i put the matches

                                    05.05.10

booze cruise

he was a nothing

a bit player in this place

before the new owners gave it the once over

and changed its name

he sat around with puppy dog eyes

clutching a sweating bottle of bud

looking for a conversation

he could weasel his way into

but now none of the old drunks come in here

he’s got his big boy pants on

and he’s the king of the bar

stuffing his fat ass into a prime seat

playing the star-spangled banner on the jukebox

a lackluster version of a lackluster song

sung by some nashville princess

with blonde hair and a botox face

when we sit down he swills half of his bottle

and gives us the once over

the nod of recognition

points at the chalk board behind the bar

says, are youse guys goin’ta tha booze cruise

on the fourth of july?

i don’t even know what the booze cruise is, i tell him

hoping that’ll end it

but it doesn’t

you pay eighty-bucks, he continues

get all of the free booze you want

take the boat right into the harbor

get so close to the fireworks and the other action

that you can almost see right up lady liberty’s skirt

he stops talking and smiles at us

checks to see if we’re taking it all in

then says

now tell me something more american than that?

before he waddles off of his stool

to play god bless america on the juke

turning back to wink at us

i look at this true blue slob and think

you, buddy,

nothing is more american than you.

                                                                        07.04.12