Drink Life Straight No Chaser

 

Alcohol monologues

Told to street curb gutters

Police cars screaming

Obscenities from

Blacked out alleys

 

Cigarette smoke clouds

The heavens from

Our indiscretions

 

Criminals picked from the streets

Lobotomy for the city, or

Whatever helps you sleep

 

The bars have become our sanctuary

The songs our psalms

Of love and beauty,

Broken hearts and one too many

 

The songs spill out into

The streets and alleyways

Out of our hearts and car speakers

 

None of us saints, but

We are not entirely sinners

We hover somewhere between

 

We shake off hangovers

And piece together the night

Like an abstract jigsaw puzzle

Author's Note

‎"I like too many things and get all confused and hung-up running from one falling star to another till i drop. This is the night, what it does to you. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion."

Jack Kerouac

Reviews

[Erica Daubert]

I love the abstract jigsaw puzzle line. Not too long ago, my room mate and I bought a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle at a thrift store. We figured it'd keep our minds somewhat stimulated while watching movies. The first two days we were completely into it, but after a few more days, a week went by. then a month. now my coffee table is cluttered, so we decided to move it onto a cardboard slab to move it out of the way. My room mate is also my best friend and drinking buddy. One night, I got tired of looking at that damn puzzle. It reminded me of defeat. I walked over to it and threw it up in the air, scattered misshaped pieces flew in every direction. My room mate was shocked of course, but later admitted he was relieved. I wrote a piece on it, kind of symbolizing the way we are so quick to dive into something and just as quick to forget the same endeavor. I might upload it if I can find it. With all of that being said, I loved this poem by you. Another great read.

[joshua deathdealer]

Nice piece. I can relate very well to this style. Well done.

[OT]

oooo love the quote - and the write - the city scene - definitely a beat touch - with the frankness of bukowski mingled perhaps - "none of us saints, but we are not entirely sinners" - how true of people in general perhaps - this is a great line - "lobotomy for the city" - nice!

I loved the second to last stanza was my favorite, but it all ties together so nicely, as if the poem would be incomplete with anything missing from it. An excellent job with describing a life that many see only in movies or stories. Love this.

[MuSe Ampoule]

first your a/n, Jack is the man! Second, this is a brilliant peek through the peephole into the urban pool of humanity. lots of great lines, particularly:
"Criminals picked from the streets
Lobotomy for the city, or
Whatever helps you sleep"
and
"None of us saints, but
We are not entirely sinners
We hover somewhere between." I believe that sums up existence, urban or not, quite well.

[mark slade]

very good--definitely apart of the cool school--as in beat poetry.

[Mauricio Montoya]

like how this piece comes together, great job.

[Shep]

Love the ideas you present. Love how the poem makes me think. I love being a sinner. Lol. Nicely done.

[Chris]

I find myself rereading and changing and moving and adding and rereading...
so its all good... has to be when others think enough to actively WANT to do things... Chuckling here.

Chris

[Joe Shetina]

So beautiful.