Roaches

Nearer swept the voice, croaking down the hall, Coco roaches waved, his wind shoved them to the cracks; And closer in the dark, thump creak on tread and wall: Lumens snake under door, as the switch clicks! And spark behind eyes with no cypher from him, Inside grizzled drummer breaths the rhythm. (Wishing me back to my sleep, the flying swim). He shouted my name! Though not without kindness, “Did ya find a job?”, half joint pinch-pushed to sleepy hand; He passes it off and “no” I must confess; I drag on the short, “things didn't go as planned”; He turns on heals whilst he speaks, I hoarsely thank him for the sluggish treat. “You need to move out within two weeks.” Freshly clouded mind, makes crooked sense of this mess: Flophouse door slams and I retreat to unearned sleep; He was not cruel, he was not kidding, and he meant the best; Thudding, knocking on the stairs that he built too steep; My scumbag squat since before last Fall, I'm asthmatic and spotty and built too small, Choked by skunk, and puzzling paint upon the wall. I'm fading fast at nineteen, and twenty-seven is all I hope: Looking forward to fuck-all, far too young for these regrets; Ain't switched to whiskey, still counting on the dope; Decades later he's still there, with his pets. Like rats like roaches, how've we survived? I've fallen to pieces, Still I'm revived: (Knowing so much less than at twenty-five).