----------------------------------------------------------------
gets longer each year
 

another year

another birthday

 

another shot at

being oblivious

 

but every scar

tells a story that

gets longer each

year

 

some think i am

getting better

 

some wonder why

i'm still here

 

death and i dance

a few times each

week it seems

 

the closer we get

the harder it is to

let go

 

those piercing eyes

melt me every damn

time

 

one night, we'll close

this bar down and put

on a show in the

parking lot

 

two drunks madly

in love
------------------------------------------------------------------------
on a wednesday in january
 

another morning

spent in a rehab

facility

 

third time this

week

 

yet another

disadvantage

of not dying

young
----------------------------------------------------------------
longer to mature
 

she doesn't laugh

at my dirty jokes

 

i remind her that

males often take

longer to mature

 

she gives me the

look

 

i believe that

means she's

quickly running

out of patience

 

if i have learned

anything over

all my years

 

it's when to just

shut the fuck up
----------------------------------------------------
the phone sex buddy
 

i think of those three

in the morning phone

calls

 

whispers of passion

while hoping not to

wake up anyone in

the house

 

there's a certain

joy hearing a woman

scream at something

your imagination

was able to create

 

it would be even

more amazing if

she thought you

were capable of

doing anything

else

 

hell is falling in

love with the phone

sex buddy that never

ever thinks of meeting

 

or giving you the time

of day if you happen

to stumble into each

other on the streets of

any random big city

on the east coast
--------------------------------------------------------
followed by thunderstorms
 

spring in ohio is usually

a couple inches of snow

followed by thunderstorms

 

a few stories of murder

bank robberies and you

can't go a day without

someone abusing a child

 

i'd like to think we are special

 

but it's most likely our shit

stinks just like everyone else



J.J. Campbell (1976 - ?) is old enough to know better. He's been widely published over the years, most recently at Horror Sleaze Trash, The Beatnik Cowboy, The Asylum Floor, Misfit Magazine and Disturb the Universe Magazine. You can find him most days on his mildly entertaining blog, evil delights.