dear mustache man

let me rest in peace without the phone’s ping

causing me to jump 

a fatigued fuck flying from loose, weary lips

say something other than a loaded question when I pick up

ask me what my crappiest moment is, ask what you can do for me

omit the lecture pronounced with porcupine prickliness

people will abandon you 

bad, too weak

soft mother, should have kicked your ass

lie more, chase women, hunt, fuck

be a lawyer 

try

 useful        writing

         legal

    stories my son 

       abandon 

I but  love you

  kick ass  

      your senseless dream

mustache man, let me create, 

a child’s awe, fitting words into spaces 

walking curvaceous country roads

discarding time like a Coors can

let me dance as the moon rises, with shadows and stardust 

mustache man

I’m not your gofer, consiglieri on call

slave

yet I crippled you because I wouldn’t write letters of paternal praise

dictated by you

your truth malleable

and once I told you to kiss my ass

fusillades of fucks fired off

but my words exploded like the Hindenburg

naked shame splayed across the ground

did you expect me to break out into song and 

tap dance through rehearsed thank yous?

after all, each I love you is followed by a but

mustache man

let me rest

in deep lush dreamlands

creating, smiling, God forbid—-laughing

love me, hate me—- let me rest

let me have one song on the jukebox 

at the bar where you think I’m a drunk

let me dance, mustache man