I wanted wisdom
but the filmy eyed bar woman – missing teeth… loosened flesh
gave me a beer
I tipped it back
expecting answers
none came.
Laughter
Cigarettes
Patsy Cline
huh… he likes Patsy Cline
Another bottle emptied
And Willie sings to me
from the jukebox
On the road again
It’s all so sad.
So heart-wrenchingly painful
Going places that I’ve never been
But I swig another
I dance a little
I glance at the tiny grandmother – smiling – calling me a taxi
random thought –
I was not meant for beauty
But I happened to get a taste
For a moment
Seeing things that I may never see again
And it was better than the bottle after bottle
I’ve held to my lips
A stranger pays for my cab
A friend calls me from home
A bed catches my stupor
And all I can think about
is the old woman who handed me a drink
and asked how I was doing
“I’m doing fine.”
as always.
…. And I can’t wait to get on the road again
But Otherwise Fine 