rhode island blues

living with closed eyes

scent of other people’s smoke
water on my tongue
background celebrity chatter

stray pill hits the floor

knuckles cracked so often
they revolt even me

tolerance for the bleak
should be the state motto

just up the road there’s an all night regret
i can visit whenever i want
where the hill is alive with the sound
of the same car passing the old apartment
many times over many hours
praying for the light to stay off

i could be one move from success
if i could move at all