One Big Night

Dawn breeze swallows up the walls
and inhibitions seep in with the light
dragons breath lingers with the cigarette smoke
and feather floats up into dust
someone stutters subtly as they stumble up the stairs
saying something about weed and guitars
there's two kids tangled in the fabric of arms
passed out and snoring on the couch
the birds song chimes in with a tribute to excess
so I grab another beer to keep off sleep
the concrete kitchen floor is as gray as the winter sky
so I look for my old blue can of paint
splatter it down sloppy, deliberate and intent
spills down the jeans to my feet
brush strokes so jagged, faulted by hope
start to sing some mindless tune
something good is coming soon
something bad is coming soon
all of it is so fast
feels so good to slide into this mess
last I heard you were still hanging lights downtown
and bitching about a good job and the kids you don't have
last I heard you moved west to finish up school
to give up on the fleeting scene
we're working, we're singing
we're clutching tattered flags
harvesting light from the witching hour dirt
and all the weeks and months that twist and blur together
into one big expensive night