don’t ask me to write you a love song so you can love me

was going into a liquor store

a guy was telling the owner

about his time in jail

 

heading around a corner

to go down an aisle

toward the check stand

i almost ran into that guy

he flinched

i stepped aside

while thinking

“yeah, you were in jail”

 

i didn’t tell him

i’m not a tough guy

i have four cats

love poetry

 

i’m the guy who opens doors

brings flowers

writes her poetry

just to win a kiss

 

yes i am an artist

i give it a 110 percent

smoke, anesthetize

and if she’s not gonna

make me a meal

i can barely be bothered

with the minute it will

take to microwave

 

i am not a slave to anything

that doesn’t make my heart feel

there is something more meaningful

than the scars we sacrifice

just to survive

 

i am not different than that guy

we all flinch when there is a lack of love

and all the lessons learned do not

lead to levels of ascension

 

we are all the same

all we really want

are arms strong enough to hold

our weight that is laden

with scars

 

***