Smolder

What happened to your heart?
It used to kick
like that old jukebox
in the dive bar on 37th Street,
the one that never checked IDs,
stayed open till three in the morning.

Now it’s black as a Nebraska highway,
long and lonely
as tumbleweed
rolling through an empty town.

When did these nights get so damn long?
Ghosts walk through the room,
whispering in the darkness,
saying your name
like it’s a sin.

I remember your scarlet lipstick,
sharper than a meat cleaver.

You laughing at the bums under the bridge,
whiskey on your breath,
torn dress, paisley and crazy.

The whole crooked city slept
while you smiled at Providence.

Now even the sunflowers and daisies wilt
when you pass by.

You're my Lady of Ashes,
sleeping loud, wrapped tight
in the dirty comforter,
smoke in your hair,
smoldering coals in your soul.

You threw me in the flames,
like a broken wristwatch
that didn’t keep the time you liked.

Watched it blacken,
watched the glass break,
and the good parts of me
turn into soot
that the wind carried away.

Funny how in the graveyard,
some of the tombstones,
you can’t even read the names.

Now I walk around
with love in my pockets
and the smell of you
like smoke
stitched into my coat.

My soul’s had enough,
yeah, my soul’s had enough.