Sunday Morning Blues in Syracuse

Your perfect white teeth pops out on screen every now and then

I in return give out grins in the mirror

There was never a better time to fall out of love.

The bedspread and comforters lay rolled up in a pile,

Dirty laundry, dishes in the sink, empty refrigerator,

The sun hits the stinks of take away boxes, socks and shoes at 12 pm.

It’s – 1 inside, outside.

We walked all the way from downtown last week. Drunk.

Sunday morning on winter break,

No meeting scheduled, invitation, assignments or planes to catch,

The neighbor seems to think the same-

A couch, one pair of sleepers, Netflix, tea, coffee and chocolate cakes.

The skunks are out in the yard scavenging last week’s trash.

The snow’s melt and so did our footprints from late night stargaze.

My butt heavy steps crack the oak stairs for a cigarette break,

Smokes never smelt so good, my feet never felt so heavy,

A walk would be great, a walk would be torture.

The Burlington is ready, so are the cheap boots,

Perhaps lunch in Panda West or Dinosaurs downtown,

Lou Reed lived a few blocks from here, friends on Westcott just a call away. 

We watched Maya together, her cats in love, their kittens warm near the fireplace.

The church bells call out the pious, the Sabbath is over,

My atheist friend and everyone else out for a brunch special,

The mailbox is empty, missed calls on the cell phone.

Strangers say hello, you said “that’s all”.

My house is down the hill,

An infamous park, just round the corner

I get email alerts about muggers after dark,

We laughed how valuable they thought life was.

My insurance doesn’t cover injury

I avoid stepping on black ice

If I step and fall, I’ll make sure I never call an ambulance.

We never got anywhere near accident, you never got to stay awake and hold my hand.

I didn’t see the Niagara Falls, only buffaloes in the farm

Nobody would believe I live upstate

Unless I talk about Haudenosaunees and great white snowbeds.

The greyhound took me down south to the city,

We don’t wait at bus stations anymore.

I’ll finish another cigarette,

Call my friend to take me shopping and to the frozen green lakes,

Perhaps dinner at Dinosaurs, movie night at Carousel.

I’ll decide later,

You are free to choose to forget.

January 06, 2011