Brown Liquor

My mind was set to chirp
whenever it was
crossed by thought.

It never shut up.

Then I applied
brown liquor
and all the chatter
smoothed itself out

into a warble
I could stand to hear.

Brown liquor,
tamer of birds.

My chest was set to holler
whenever the current certain someone
crossed my mind.
I got no sleep.

Then I applied
brown liquor
to my core
and boy, did the shouting
settle down.  Boy,
did I sleep.

Brown liquor,
tamer of lions.

Brown liquor,
should have had you
all along and put you
where my problems are
from the first.

You do the trick
like nobody’s business,
and that’s nobody’s business.

Hear how quiet it is now?
That’s the way I always wanted it.
What I used to think and feel — damn
all that chirping and ruckus
and give me the brown liquor
to lie on the noise
like a dead blanket
that won’t keep me warm,

but what it does do,
I prefer.