waiting for the eye of the storm

walking in the rain on hollywood boulevard

the downpour saturates my clothes and skin

but it does not wash the smell of cigarettes from me

the splash of water hitting my face does not sober me

 

i grab a slice of pizza

the owner came from new york

but has been here over 30 years

 

i eat

remove myself from his place

remove my flask from my pocket

continue walking

 

stop at a liquor store a few shops down

from the hollywood roosevelt hotel

another pint of whiskey

to refill my flask

the cashier is rude

 

and i’m on the sidewalk

opening the half pint

and drinking straight from the bottle

 

the rainfall changes in intensity

but i never change

 

the rain comes

the rain goes

the nights are warm

the nights are cold

 

but i’m always on concrete

under an indifferent moon

drunk and smoking

 

nothing to give

no reason to live

the immensity of our vast universe

and my place in it

keeps me from being culled

by your conversations

 

and when my time is done

the human race will still run

with the beliefs that made earth

the center of the universe

to say otherwise was a heresy

 

from all such centricities i’ve walked away

and learned how to light a cigarette in the rain

 

***