Another poem

My friend, I’ve made it,
sorry for the wait,
it’s a long way
up the narrow stairs to your room
from the night outside with no moon,
so intelligent and lonely we are,
I’m happy to see you.

And you, you’re a reflection
in the open window.
I’m wide-eyed
and I can’t shut up.
God, it’s so easy
to lose it all in this place.

There’s no more sleep left.
I grow thin
in the green light,
so we have bagels from the dumpster
on a cellophane blue plate,
with cream cheese and
gobs of fresh strawberry jam.

The old wood floor sways, under you,
then the fiddle, then the blues.
A quick swig of whiskey, and
from somewhere far off the 3am faint
smell of cigarette smoke.

Hey, what do you say,
let’s go for a drive.
I’m not bluffing, and you’re not shy,
just lettin’ the buzz go by,
just losing time again.

Listen, I’m starting to really like those trees
outside your window, and

rumor has it, the sun sets real low
over the west coast.
But while these folks are sleeping
huge stars are spinning,
and by daybreak,
we’re well on our way
sober and stumbling.

-Lulu Liu

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I wrote this for my junior lab partner. Spent a lot of late nights with this guy.