2am pale blue tabletops

slouched my rental car

slow over gravel

through a dive bar cum diner parking lot

in the dodgy end of Pennsylvania

somewhere off 22 between Pittsburgh

& land in New Jersey i was looking to sell

i don’t remember

which ocean i was headed to

that trip

certain sure red paint chip barnwood

composing roofbeams of

the dispassionate cathedral

had a neon Pabst Blue Ribbon tattoo

it was too late for dinner so

i ate a copy of lunch poems with a cuppa black coffee

listening to The Guess Who drip maple syrup

down the hopeful jukebox thriving in the corner

These Eyes

wondering

whom among the swaying travelers

knew which song i needed to spend a dime on

as my failure was

eviscerating myself

always having saved a chair across

2am pale blue tabletops

for you

.

©aayoung07.26.2020