Welter-weight bouts in this crappy southern bar
Dancing halfway pretty girls with thick, pasture-like makeup
As they ask for money
Sirens wailing — then silence — sirens wailing
Open my eyes to see the bar is empty
And I’m walking on the street
In the street, twirling about on a misty night
Dawn cracks open
Awake in my bed with my clothes on
Smelling like trouble
Music is playing as the lights go out
The heat comes on
I’m in a car, street signs flicker past my eyes
As I rub them, nodding at new friends
“This is Diane.” “What’s up?” “Hey.”
Eating French toast at Denny’s again
And now I’m paying the bills
Every time I open my eyes, I’m in a new place
The background changes
Lying naked on the carpet
Who left the light on?
I’m in the shower — How long has the water been running?
Punching my face with my fist
Until I can go to sleep
It all goes away
And I rest
For a while.
Note on the original: “for this, I had to recall early 1999; also, I just saw an Oliver Stone film”.
Note: Millal Ba is my alternate personality. Klin Romnel is a fictional character I invented for a novel.