at the afterhours party

“hey john

have you written anything today?” – a voice

 

“i’ve been working on something

it’s not quite finished”

 

“well

let us hear it” – a voice

 

“yeah, man

let’s hear it” – another voice

 

“o.k. o.k.

 

‘poetry is

(pause for dramatic effect)

poems written by poets’

 

that’s all i got”

 

“wow

incredible” – a voice

 

“so deep” – another voice

 

“thank-you, thank-you

your encouragement means a lot”

 

“he’s a genius” – background voices

“brilliant” – around the background

 

River Phoenix died age 23 drug induced heart failure

Layne Staley died age 34 prescription drug overdose

Jimi Hendrix died age 27 asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates

Shannon Hoon died age 28 cocaine overdose

Edgar Allan Poe died age 40 death from disreputable causes

Jim Morrison died age 27 heart failure

Jack Kerouac died age 47 cirrhosis

Janis Joplin died age 27 heroin overdose

Amy Winehouse died age 27 alcohol poisoning

Jim Belushi died age 33 acute cocaine and heroin intoxication

Chris Farley died age 33 cocaine intoxication and morphine overdose

Keith moon died age 32 clomethiazole overdose

Bradley Nowell died age 28 heroin overdose

Hunter S. Thompson died age 67 suicide

William S. Burroughs died age 83 heart failure (every rule has an exception)

 

i’m sure i forgot somebody

 

whew,

that was hard work

i need a drink

 

***