give me a bottle of cheap whiskey
a pile of unread books
and a flickering lightbulb
and i will show you my idea of
a good time.

give me the summer of ‘16
a bottle labeled perfume
and a white, empty canvas
and i will heat you glass out of sand.

give me a plane ticket and passport
an old rickety suitcase
and an Italian dictionary
and i will show you the world.

give me a worn leather journal,
a bleeding ballpoint pen
and my olive-skinned muse
and i will write you the universe.
-a.c.b