1
She came towards me with a juicy gash between her legs that smelled like my best friend's sister" Just when I thought I'd escaped them all She comes reeling herself inpulling at my stringsher hand quick to find my zipper She moaned the way a drunk old lady does And I wasn't even inside her yet" You don't have anywhere else to be, " she managed to say.." My wounds have been reopened tonight already, " I muttered I caught wind of the gully. .the part of her she once kept sacred as a ChristianI smelled the information I lifted my hand into the air and hailed a cab He rolled down his window and saw her" Find another cab, " he said, and sped off into the night I took her homebecause she said she was lonelyreally she was drunk off somethingsome memory or some choiceshe walked funny.. -one of her heels had broken On the couch I left her, Before I could go, she grabbed my cock I slapped her across the face and she pulled harder Her eyes stayed closed Her lips dripped Her grip clenched I wasn't getting out of this one unscathed" If I take my pants off, will you let me go?" I asked" If you take your pants off, I'll be suckin' that cock till you pass out from all the screamin'.." I slapped her again, because she needed it She laughed Saying her cousin beat her harder Saying her father knew how to really...make things happen I asked her what her father's number was Let's get his motherfucking self up here to take you away, that's what I said She said he died, or killed himself" What's the difference really, " she said, chewing on her hair She let go of my cock on her own accord And she opened her eyes for a moment She closed them again And I could tell she was sleeping Her eyes opened once more Her face red where I'd hit her She tasted the blood on her lip" Do you think if we remind ourselves enough, we can make up for all the pain we've caused others?" I said to her, "We can't. All we can do is keep ourselves from all those who don't deserve it.Dave Matthes
2
The door is cracked We used to meetlike water does landnonot thatmore like when skin touches skinkissing fingertipsor when air escapes a lung and is felt across the world I've leapt over cracks in sidewalksand swallowed away troublesome back painsthat could only be fixed with someone else's pills We met by your house one stray dayand you drove me to the baywhere we sat and kissed like it was yesterday And here you told me that you loved meand that you always loved meand that you would always love methe wind blew and I held you You rested your head on my shoulderand the wind blew warm Later, in your big red truck, we smoked some greenand I kissed you harderand held your breasts, and felt between your legsand with a gaspyou told me you were in love with me And then you drove me backand we promised it wouldn't be the endnot this time The quill and inkwell on your foot I'm a writer and you are my greatest art I returned to my hell and dreamt of you once more .Dave Matthes
3
~Posters with torn edges hanging from rotten walls~ The doctor told me something onceshe said S T O P DRINKINGI slapped her across the face with this N O I walked right out of that officewent right down to the hole I told the bartender W H I S K E Y, MOTHERFUCKERhe poured and he pouredand I slapped my money down on that barthe man I had been driving around withhe just sort of sat there next to this hookershe probably had something rottenway down there between her legsher eyes told of no soul I emptied the bottle down my throatand ordered some chipsthe bartender told me T H E Y' R E STALEand I give him a I DON'T FUCKIN' CARE, GIVE ME SOMETHIN'He slid me a ham sandwich dripping with cheap low-fat mayo and said E N J O Y I went back to my roomand talked all nightso much conversationit turned the toilet bowl pale .Dave Matthes
4
Reaction time Touch the underside of a penny you find on the street Doesn't feel any different unless you close your eyes I can taste the copper in my mouth nowseeping from between my teeth There's an explanation I'm sureall this bloodit's from all the times I held the glass too close And forgot to tip the dancer A storm just passedand like every other one that came before it I was left unharmed The dogs are all barking and the catshiding in the basement And the sky is colored that bright yellow glowmakes it feel like you're wearing sunglassesthat you can't take off Wherever you are nowit's not herebecause I missed it I missed the show I missed the curtain call And forever more I am cursedlike a blanket without a body to keep warm .Dave Matthes