we were caught

unaware

by the corrosive capabilities

of cola

and i (think i)

claimed to be the king of memphis, tennesee

but i was only kidding

they don’t let bad men rise to power anymore

…

she touched her purse

after she sneezed

as if it would help her

gain her composure again

while i was busy watching her toes

which peeked like cleavage

down out of her shoes

…

stratford

upon avon

upon my hands

upon my lap

i ask the waitress

for the time

because i’m feeling the need

to get back to basics

a hearty breakfast can only get you so far

so i waited outside

the part of the movie you never see

asked her for a stroll

we made it downtown

everything was slow

went into a shop

that was fresh out of record players

they always said sinatra was connected

i’d like to think we all are