Was once cane now resolved to gold
This yeast and barrel turn to my soul
Black liquid that I can hold
Burn the throat and warm the bones
Heal the wounds and fight the cold
Liquored down til I grow old

My friends Jack and Jim
Sing so very wonderfully
Whiskey lullabies

"I've decided that I know
Exactly what you are"

My love
My hate
My heart
My rage
My blessed morning star

You cry and flail
You cringe and run
Your feet take you so very far

Those demons painted on your dreams
Lash out
In hopes to scar

I watch you cry, your dream state dies
One breath from death afar

I whisper
"Love wait"
And smile
And hate
And give chase with you in my arms

There was never any question

My breath will tell you

Her clever fingers dance
Across crisp whites
Satin blacks
Gracing me the privilege
Of experiencing the most intimate
Of intimacies
A spry strike of a chord
This one a sublimely soft touch
This one a vicious attack
All as her fingers dance
Deftly in love with the keys
The word sacred comes to mind
As though not meant for eyes
Struck wordless in awe
She'll never love me the way she does that piano
I'm sadly fine just watching

I meant to write you this
A poem for a friend
But seeing as you died today
This too comes to an end

My nerves hurt
From a sledge hammer and wedge
This venomous vicodin
Got me standing over a ledge
Biting my heels
Pushing me closer to the edge
And running from it don't work no more
Shoot me instead

Fallen a victim
To the dagger of remedies
"Oh no your heart broke?"
"Man, get off your knees"
No more anger no more hatred
"Trade your pain for these"
And if I'm broke it's okay
"I can get what you need"

Rose up from the anger
Now ends with regret
The pills keep me alive
If barely not just yet
A shell of what I thought life was
Now, never upset
How to go on living
Gentlemen place your bets