Hustler

We went to the bar 

before closing 

to find

girls to hit on

& to attract them 

back to 

my friend's place, especially

the broad with 

jet black hair 

(& a fire engine 

streak)

who took shots 

of apple vodka

when she was not 

hustling the losers 

for drinks.

But we're not losers.

She didn't hustle us.

We got her back 

to the house

& she sat 

on my friends lap,

smiled away,

help up good conversation

(didn't check her phone once)

while we told stories

of past victories

true or not.

But by the time

the night was over

& the cigarettes

started to taste

like pine oil

my bottle of

whiskey was

finished

& I only had a drink 

or two.

Cigarette burn

When I was 14

I put a 

cigarette out

on my hand

in a restaurant

because some guy

said that 

nobody 

had the balls

to do it,

& when

I look at it

now

I wonder

what I was

thinking; how

could I be so

stupid?

I look 

at the scar

one more time

& wonder

how sad it is

that I

may never be 

that stupid

again.

Swarm

There's this trail near where I live

& when you walk through it in the spring 

as the sun is low & bloated, all of these 

tiny birds become frightened & swarm 

away from you,

fluttering from the branches & leaf-ridden ground, 

occupying each shrub in the path 

until you get closer to them 

& when you do 

they move to another shrub, 

but when you're high & 

warm in the evening sun &

music is loud in your ears, 

walking through the trail 

is like walking through an ocean of birds 

who seem ever so delighted to see you, 

but then you sober up & remember 

all they are trying to do 

is get away & be 

left alone again.