I'm trying to find the words
          To make you see
You're everything
          I'll never be

Beer breath hugs
and white wine kisses
she's passed out on the couch
because a queen bed is supposed to sleep two,
daily tears fall on callous ears
half full glasses sit on tables,
crystal never looked so cheap
slurred words stumble through conversation
moderation took a vacation

I saw stardust in your hands
As you slipped away
Smiling to yourself
Moving beyond earthly things.

The Yellow River

Disoriented by Vietnamese beer,
I enter the hot zone
Approximately four inches
South of my intended
Insertion point,
And am repelled
By an aggressive
Guerilla resistance.

War is hell.

-Thomas L. Vaultonburg