Empty wine bottles and cigarette butts.
  Old pictures of us in love and babies.
  Dust rests on every surface like death.
  I don't feel anything. I'm mostly dead.
  The only living thing is a keyboard where
  I pound tears into my coffin one at a time.

I hope we did you proud.
  Mike died young of cirrhosis
  I live on in alcoholic haze
  no connection with the living
  just a **** or two and meet
  another **** in some dive bar
  where your ghost cheers for
  conquests without a heart.

Hide your fear behind your
  beautiful smile and your
  bruises under makeup.
  Your beast has you trapped
  with gobs of babies you had
  and Christ I want to rescue
  the lot of you but he'd con
  the system and I'd be crucified
  and you'd be ostracized and that
  cruelty let loose would win the day.

Kathy
  I'm aching naked
  in the raw dawn
  of our kitchen
  I found my new soulmate
  I'm leaving you and the kids
  to write a Great American Novel

  Betsy
  I'm aching naked
  in the raw dawn
  of your dorm room
  our last kiss and
  I'm off to Boston
  to discover myself.

  Georgine
  I'm aching naked
  in the raw dawn
  of my garret
  a broken fist I put in a wall
  I'm jealousy's beast of burden
  I won't bother for my stuff. I'm sorry

  Terry
  I'm aching naked
  in the raw dawn
  of my latest *******
  I'm just another *****
  gather your stuff, bye
  why do I keep dying inside?

  Lynette
  I'm aching naked
  in the raw dawn
  Nashville new job, we're over
  I'll mail your stuff.
  you were the cruelest month
  still I couldn't set you free

  Jayne
  I'm aching naked
  in the raw dawn
  always
  no cure for romantics
  who believe in miracles
  and impossible loves.

I'm an old man with my young man memories
  that would make a ***** blush after all.
  Lots of ***** and naked and *** and more
  was how it unfolded and I loved them all
  and still do. I know I can't reach back to
  say hello. Some of them blame me for their
  unfulfilled lives with empty wombs but I
  can't save me and can't save them after all.

We are poets. We are emotional to extremes.
      We love more and hate more and suffer most
      of all.  We feel everyone's pain and write it
      in our blood for you. You're welcome.

I'm aching naked
  in the raw dawn
  of your dorm room
  our last kiss and
  I'm off to Boston
  to discover myself.