Enter the courtyard,

and leave behind 410

and its fumes.

 

Take a xannie in a handshake

and forget what it’s like to be afraid.

 

Follow the skunky billow

and see a drunk knockout fight

and a booty shake ripple

so slow you have to look close to be sure they’re moving.

 

Go to sleep

and wake up

and see that the cop strobe hasn’t switched from red to blue.

 

Spend June in the drunk tank

and don’t remember it because of hooch blackout.

 

Enter the rotation

and stare into the eternal Bic flame

that has you open

and see its script whisper in your ear,

“Don’t go. Just stay.”