Chronicling my life on July 4th

to know where i've come from in helps with where i'm going

 

I am 16

I drive around

With the top of the LeBaron down

Acting like I’m Johnny Depp

Acting like Hunter S Thompson

Acting like Raul Duke.

I take a girl home to a trailer park,

Rent a softcore porno flick

That would struggle to make it on Cinemax

At 3am on a Saturday morning.

I drive home to Vanilla Ice and M.C. Hammer

Because it’s cool to like them

Since they’re so lame.

 

I am 17

I steal cigarettes from my brother and father

Because that stupid red-haired c**t from school

I.D’ed me at the Food Lion cash register.

I wash off the smell of animal feces

And wish school would start

So it could end.

Before I go to bed I take a shot of Rum

Even though I know you only do shots

Of whiskey or tequila

If you wanna be a real man.

 

I am 18

There’s half a pack of Camel Lights

In my front pocket.

I say I steal beer from my Dad

But he doesn’t care if I drink.

Smackdown! is on in my room.

Edge and Hulk Hogan win the tag team titles.

I climb up on my roof

Hoping to see fireworks

But it’s uncomfortable

And I don’t stay long.

 

I am 19

I drink a lot of Miller High Life

Because I spent a year in college.

My friends have apartments

But I still live at home.

I go down Bluebird Drive

A couple of times

But she’s not standing out there

Like she used to.

No one’s there

And I realize

I’m alone.

 

I am 20

She’s back

It’s only for three hours

But she’s back.

Dick and I go to IHOP

And order sundaes.

He asks if I’m coming to work

In the morning.

I ponder spouting off some nihilistic existentialism

Bullshit

It’s easier to go home and stay there

That’s the first place they’ll come

If they’re looking for me.

 

I am 21

And on Interstate 66 heading West

Toward the lands of manifest destiny,

Gold, liquor and women,

But I always get off at the same exit.

The chain has been broken,

The three who came before me didn’t last

I didn’t make the same mistake.

Mr. Yeats rides past me on a white horse.

He looks at me

And says he knows how I feel.

 

I am 22

Out of College

Out of the House

Out of Luck.

Fireworks erupt in three different displays

In a small town.

There’s no booze

And Becca left sometime in the mid-afternoon.

Tomorrow will be the 5^th

Which means

It’s just another day.

Reviews

[Kesha]

This is really good, i quite enjoyed the format of this.