remember the corkscrew
broken and almost perfect
have i told you
how this black mouse
with a red eye
navigates infinite possibility?

waiting with a bearded buddha
i gaze upon
green feline guardians,
a pharaoh’s feather,
and wine bottles around the globe!

bukowski slurs
mean, on the big screen
as domestic beasts
fight in a red arcade
scattered glances
and i’m charmed by
a noble cat
curled in a sideways box

absence of the dragon
i’m surrounded by
samurai swords
and a sleeping dog
and i want to renew
all these expired candles
burned low from
nights of tragedy

lighters on a littered table-top
and an organic ashtray
is washed away
by another listless day
at least i have
firm pillows and warm feet
on the wall
a dangerous mirror
reflects
a hungry smile
and at this moment
eternity seems so fitting

do you hear the approaching drone
or the dying woman
dancing in rhythmic bliss
stop
change the characters
we are
too old to quit
and too young to die

possessed and
writing in the dark
i see trashcan parties
and misfits with rusty guns
penning premature revolution

the evening continues to creep
as the intoxication of sleep
approaches
and this evening has been
strange
and short lived

before i depart
let me remind you
that dreams are
fertile chaos
lost within
sidewalk hotel fantasies
and soon that silver box
will come calling