the dark streets of decay 8

walking around midtown

no more rain coming down

nothing to obscure the neon lights

defining the night

 

“hey baby

for a little cash i could make your night

be a garden of delights”

 

i look at her until she starts to fidget

          in annoyance

then ask,

“how much too just walk around

with me

holding hands

then at the end of the night at your door

i kiss you on the cheek?”

 

she doesn’t laugh or hesitate

just says,

“fuck it,

i don’t know

sometimes a girl just needs to hold hands”

 

she takes my hand and we start walking

i ask her her name and for the first time in months

          she doesn’t lie

i talk about molecules and the meaning of life

and we walk

 

and i don’t care if the script is called

“the dry hump king”

she is holding my hand

and she is listening

 

when a planet is round

you can only walk in circles

and we find her front door

above the iron bars of a convenience store

 

i kiss her cheek and wait for her to name

          a price

she simply kisses mine and says goodnight

 

i’ve been up all night without a drink

we shared my cigarettes

until we both began to stink

 

i find some eggs and toast and flesh

the dawn is violating the night’s last breath

 

my bed is somewhere in this god forsaken town

 

we held hands while we walked around

 

***