Approached in
the parking lot
by a man,
Assault in his eyes.

"Here's $25
"Ought to get you high. "
Punched me straight on.

"I'm not a drug addict -
I'm a hungry man,
My brain's been scrambled since
I was 10,
Society's rules
are too complex for
me to bend,
I don't know what I'm supposed to do,
I'm running
I'm stopping
I keep trying to jump through all these hoops
I keep finding myself out of the loop,
No one's told me
the secret yet.
I've been lied to many times.

"I'm going to take your money tonight,
But I will leave you with the rest,
My hunger is an insatiable spot,
Desperation rots,
Get back in your car
drive away,
Don't tell a soul
what you saw
here
today. "