————————————————————
the urge to start smoking again
its the hum of the factories
at three a.m. while i’m on
the back porch fighting the
urge to start smoking again
half this country is stupid
and half of that is on fire
cancer took another
sweetheart
but to be honest,
all of us are just
biding our time
another scam phone call
go find a job just to keep
the cheapest insurance
possible
of course, you need a
master’s degree to work
a broom
walk the earth
find a cemetery in
new orleans
watch the rain bring
out your favorite
demons
spend the night dancing
with a man in a dress
who knows what will
be slipped into your
drink
—————————————————
true love
i got the alert on my phone
another murder/suicide
i clicked the link
87 year old man shot his 85
year old wife, suffering from
dementia, then shot himself
in the head
in the process he called his
daughter and told her what
he had done
she called 911
as i read the story, i told
my mother this was an
act of love
not allowing his wife to
suffer anymore, true love
most people don’t understand
or ever experience it
but when someone you deeply
care for and love are struggling
to survive…
if death doesn’t cross your
mind you are not human
the cops called today
a tragedy
i figure they are pissed they
now have paperwork to do
—————————————————–
emoji
i get the random
email from an old
girlfriend every
blue moon or so
not sure if she
wants to get
back together
or brag about
how good her
life is now
without me
i don’t speak
emoji
too old for that
shit
i do understand
middle fingers
and tires peeling
out after an
argument
no chance any
of that shit gets
misunderstood
———————————————
storm clouds
she was a mystery,
a riddle, a ray of
sunshine in a world
of storm clouds
an empty glass
falling from the
kitchen table
a plate of pasta
hitting the wall
no love without
anger
no peace without
war
she once told me
she would love me
forever right before
she married someone
else
i guess the letters
have been lost
in the mail
—————————————————–
more pain and certainty
woke the other morning
to charlie parker
it quickly reminded me
of my twenties,
just less women and drugs
and more pain and certainty
a young beauty dies at just 36
and the world keeps on turning
into an endless death spiral
of shit
no one wants to love anymore
and my friends think i should
start writing romance novels
i’m more likely to buy a gun
and start writing a different
kind of romance novel
not sure anyone actually
wants that
run out the clock
make something
for dinner
all the important people
are in your head
listen to the laughter
and get some fucking
sleep
J.J. Campbell (1976 – ?) is a 3 time Best of the Net nominee and a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee. He’s been widely published over the last 30 plus years, most recently at The Beatnik Cowboy, Drinkers Only, Mad Swirl, The Rye Whiskey Review and Yellow Mama. His most recent book, to live your dreams, published by Whiskey City Press, is available at Amazon by going here: https://a.co/d/093fvaAO
J.J. Campbell
https://evildelights.blogspot.com