last call

Wink And A Nod

the distortion of water through pipes

bright white noise in a dimly lit room

meth fingers no match for tired eyes

words hover over then drift out of reach

all sound turning to steam squint glare

consonants, vowels mixing with dissonance

the sting of well-placed adverbs swelling

digits laboring to sift chaffe from grist

the room a sudden choke of sweat and caffeine

flint of flickering thoughts the way paper burns

memory of cigarette smoke distends the abdomen

medicinal wink and a nod of dry red wine

contractions blurred between lost apostrophes

fading glow of lamp buried in the dirt of dreams

stanzas line a ditch slumping martyrs upon martyrs

catholic tendency panhandling for one rich word

silence startles a highbeam across a roadkill

awake stumbles in the cold of a now quiet room

window condensation drips nocturnal omissions

blank pages of liquid crystal displayed

sans music last call slow dance

fourth and long

punt