JUST THE TIP

When
Writing
Poem
It
Best
To
Be
Hungry
Although
Not
Always
For
Food

 
WHO SAYS THAT FAST FOOD CAN’T BRING A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

the feeling would be
of summer with the window
open
while on a mild-to-moderate
dose of synthetic opiates
and having forgotten temporarily
that one existed
after vomiting
a small order of
onion rings and
chicken fries
from burger king

 
TOP 10 GREATEST FEELS

10.
Going to work, which means putting
on the same black skirt and
blouse as yesterday, taking your
apron from your locker,
smoking a quick cigarette,
and resigning to the fact that
today is the same as yesterday
and neither likes you
very much.

9.
Sitting on a hospital bed
with the lights out because
you insisted and
the orderlies are afraid
which seems… bad…
because they’ve probably
seen a little of everything,
so it turns out you’re a
unique snowflake
after all.

8.
One of the things about
death
is it just gives you another
justifiable reason
to be angry.

7.
There’s at least
five people out there
who genuinely hate you
and there’s no way to
apologize because
none want to speak to you,
so maybe that’s not that different
from actually having been
absolved.

6.
Four am, nightlight projecting
his shadows on the walls
and the pills have kicked in
but you’re still there,
still awake,
feeling the invisible bugs
crawl around on
your skin
which, in some ways,
is a kind of
conjure.

5.
Drowning in a pool of water
that may or may not
actually be there
while listening to 1983’s
number one hit record
and not really giving
a shit
either way.

4.
Accepting at age thirty
that you’ve never been in any
position to take care of
yourself,
that a rose garden
is more
self-sufficient,
so why not let
someone truly love you.

3.
Realizing it’s impossible
to differentiate the mistakes
you’ve made from those
that were merely stupid
decisions,
but fuck wisdom
anyway.

2.
Getting to the point where
hearing that one song
no longer makes you feel
ashamed, and the scent
of coconut rum no longer
reminds you of your own
shoddy attempt
at death.

1.
What’s the point of wondering
what the future holds
when the past makes absolutely
zero sense at all.