maria

Maria always sat next to me

smiling and giggling

hiding her head in my shoulder

all the while exchanging sidelong glances

with the Kappa Sig down the bar

She accepted my invitation

and my ride

she drank my beer

and my shots

all the while ignoring my company

We left her house at the same time

rode in the same car

went to the same bar

but lived miles apart

never coming home together

Every week the same date

and the same disappointment

following her bread crumbs

to a bar tab for two

and an empty bed

Ted Leo - Johnny Appleseed/Rudie Can't Fail live

burned out city

The grain silos

stand above the skyline,

keeping watch

for returning prosperity,

guards from a time

when this was the

Queen City

modern queen mab

deep explosions rumble in my frontal lobe

bringing bursts of blues and off-whites to a

place behind my optic nerve

like far off artillery fire,

a swirl of every face i’ve ever known

cascades a righteous sleep to my eyes

and i awake sagacious

comfortable with the face of the universe

homeless question

asked of me outside a bar

‘hey man, can you spare?’

‘the missions here are $7/night’

sure I can spare

5 in his hand

and his foot in the door

before my bills are in his pocket

when I realize missions are free

and beers are 3.50 a piece

Twitter!

Today is your lucky day! You can now follow me, Stewart Grant, and Poetry, Punx, and Prose on twitter at poetrypunxprose@twitter.com.

RX Bandits - To Our Unborn Daughters