Raindogblue

Overdose

For the record,
for those who care, 
for those who are curious, 
for those who want to committing suicide,
overdosing on opiates, alcohol, and muscle relaxers 
will turn you blue. 
The drugs will depress your lungs.
You'll struggle to breath.
Your blood won't circulate as it should.
Blood will pool in your extremities.
You hands, head, and feet will discolor.
The tips may even turn black. 
The medics and fireman will gather around you,
put a tube down your nose, bag you,
and attempt to counteract the opiates with Narcan, 
struggling to save the life you've discarded. 

Amber

LEDs. Fog

Keys

Crown Vic trunk lock eats keys.

Each year I lose one or two.

A simple twist separates

the teeth from the top.

The Shop guys roll their eyes,

"Never unlock the trunk with a key.

That's what the automatic release is for."

Thanksgiving

I am thankful I have the seniority to be able to successfully bid for the day off.  Instead of working, I'll be spending the day with my family.

Detour

Leaves clog the gutters.
Rain fills the streets.
The East Village Road is flooded.
In a deluge, I block the street.

One by one, 
cars approach my barricade
and ask if the can pass.

The road's flooded.
The water's three feet deep.
If your can float, feel free.

One by one, 
the cars turn away
and the drivers thank me.

Taser IV

Drunk

It's not that you've been drinking.
It's not that your're drunk.
It's not that you're in public.
It's that you're so drunk
you've fallen into the intersection
of two busy streets
and a woman called dispatch
after nearly running over your head.
I can tell by the cut of clothes
and the quality of your cellphone
you are wealthy.
It's irrelevant.
You're a danger to yourself.
I'm not going to call you a cab.
I'm not going to take you home.
I'm not going to call your dad,
you're an adult, and almost thirty.
You don't get a phone call.
You don't go to jail.
You're civil rights are on hold.
You do go to the drunk tank,
a sobriety center.
You get to sleep it off, if you choose,
or a rage in a safety room if you want.
Either way, you'll be treated
not by your social status,
but what you are: a vulnerable drunk.

Abstract Series: Easy

Odometer