Tom & Charles

I'm sitting here
Again
Listening to an endless
playlist of Tom Waits songs
Again.
I'm alone
and drinking
and thinking
Again
after a long day,
no...
a long week,
no...
a long year,
no...
a long lifetime
of hard work
and hard knocks
My pets know all the Waits lyrics
by heart I say,
as I always play
Tom Waits
when I'm away
so they have someone
who knows what it's like
to listen to.
Then I come home
and tell them similar stories.
And they are like,
"you remind me of this song I know".
I know.
If only I had Bukowski on tape,
they would get another familiar earful.
I told my adopted Jewish parents once,
"I'm just a walking Bukowski story".
They laughed,
and kinda nodded.
They got it.
OK,
so,
I don't do drugs
and I don't cheat,
and don't fight
and I don't get to write
that much
because I work
so much
and
I don't drink liquor
only beer
and
I don't accept drinks
from a random stranger
I pay my own way
always have
always will
and I always
pay the bill
for everyone
and I'm not mad
only sad
But I like to laugh
and I like to dream
and I like to make others laugh
even more
So...
I guess me and Mr. Bukowski have absolutely
Nothing
In
Common.
Except understanding despair
because it's there.
It's everywhere.
And knowing that
all too well
Makes you really not care
about much
except
sitting, tired
with a beer in hand
knowing
that at least
Tom and Charles
understand
everything.