Sunday, December 13, 2015

the interior of the last night of the earth (1992-1994): home [2011]

he
came
through
the door
donned a hard hat
and shouted
"think safety!"

the six of them
became so drunk that
they attempted
to play pool with
their cocks     (apparently
                       one was more successful than
                       the others)

he sat dejected
on the fourth step
and confessed that
because of her absence
he had no interest
in the party or
the concert afterward

he had ingested
so much wine that
when he awakened
the next morning
his equilibrium was
gone

the landlord came
on Sunday night
and knocked on the door
for ten minutes     because
she knew that he was
up there     hiding in his room
and he was     (he had lost
                       the rent money
                       at the track)

he lay face down
in the drain of
the tub     and
continued to
regurgitate
the salsa and beer

when he arrived home
at 2:30 in the morning
he popped some NoDoz
smoked a joint and
proceeded to craft
a rack for the pool cues
from scrap wood and
used shoelaces

his mother had left him
6 new pairs of socks
a package of underwear
and two fresh towels
so he decided to
bathe

when the ladies entered the restroom
they realized that it had not been cleaned in months

they spent the evening
listening to Johnny Hartman records
drinking Wild Irish Rose
and forgetting

he sat on the edge of
his bed     unable to move
unable to do anything
without the room
spinning     and
he prayed to God
(in whom he did not believe)
for redemption

after a concentrated search
for the source of the stench
it was finally determined
that the cats had been
pissing and shitting
up inside the recliner

he tried to remain focused on
practicing his instrument
as the over-anxious pounding
continued     however
when Prince's "Soft and Wet"
suddenly became the soundtrack
for the loss of his roommate's
virginity     he had to stop
and take a moment to reflect

his skin was so badly
burned     that his red afro
appeared bleached blonde
in comparison

the argument continued
until the phone rang
and an opportunity to
get drunk and
get laid
presented itself

after the band had played
several of them gathered
in the freezing loft
to discuss exit strategies
and write songs
for the new splinter group
               Head

they found him passed out     using a milk crate
for a pillow     and his amp for a leg rest

the dishes were stacked
3 feet high     and the kitchen
stank like boiled roadkill
but the standoff continued

on the day that
the dirty old man
died
the house was
burglarized     and
as he inspected
the mostly empty rooms
he noticed that
the burglars had
left the screen door
hanging open     so he accepted
the ironic gift and
                         walked
                         out

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