The room smelled
of stale whiskey,
the odor of cigarettes
hung in the dank room
like guano,
her snoring played
a macabre symphony.

Lying there alone
with my thoughts,
I reached an epiphany
& knew,
this was not the way it
was supposed to be.

All my life,
I'd heard stories
of shooting stars,
weak knees &
melting hearts.

And now,
I felt like a dead meteorite,
snuffed by reentry,
obilerated by myth,
broken hearted
& still wondering
if true love
really does exist.

I rolled over her arm,
tilted the near-empty bottle
& swallowed
the last drop
of stinging hope.