Poem-Poughkeepsie | Centre Daily Times

There he lay

face down in the gravel and dirt

remains of an unspent paycheck

burning a drunkards hole in his pocket.

She bent down to his level

grabbed a handful of hair and lifted his head

she wanted to see the face of the “man”

who would visit the Diamond Horseshoe Gentlemans’ Club

with the money and the love he was supposed to bring home.

She wanted to see his face

as she reached into his pocket to take what was left of the money.

She let go of his hair and let his face fall

and his alcohol-saturated head made a pumpkin-smashing sound in the dirt.

Though anxious to simply turn and leave,

she paused thinking, sarcastically,

this was just perfect...oh, yeah, perfect all right, and

she kicked dirt in his unconscious face.

Only then did she turn,

leave him there, and

walk away.

There he lay

an absurd spectacle

bereft

in the gravel and dirt.