For Mingus the Cat

We were united in our mutual weirdness

co-conspirators
writing partners

If you were a person
you’d be an installation artist
who wore nothing but Hawaiian shirts
and drank Night Train
out of a bowler cap

You saw the street
You saw the good life

You cared nothing for either
and took it to your death rattle

I would’ve traded a city block for you

but that’s not how life works

so
I do the next best thing
and leave the door to the attic open
when I write

like Jews
leave the front door open
for Elijah

in the hopes that you’ll wander up
and perch your dirty asshole on the railing
like old times

and watch me chug black coffee

and write through dirty glasses

swearing at stanza after stanza

missing you

I know it’s weird
I know it makes no sense

but humans never do

like the street
like the good life

like an empty attic
and some silly lines

© 2016 Lee Kitzis

Dave and Buster

Today I lost my in-law's dog
and an old friend from the liquor business

the friend by accident

the dog
like most good old dogs
and most good old people
just got tired

lied down
and didn't get up

the cats start fighting

yowling and growling

I pour a Benchmark neat

and listen to the kids play basketball

then Mingus pisses on the plant

If you listen to the dead

they tell you to move on

So here I go fellas

here I go

goodnight Dave

goodnight Buster

sorry plant

© 2014 Lee Kitzis