———————————————————–
some quick cash
playing games on my phone
for pennies and i feel like
my father,
just another fucking loser
trying to make some quick
cash for not much work
these are the nights where
suicide becomes inevitable,
like an animal howling at
the moon or a poet that
is last to leave the bar
i know i have a few friends
that certainly worry
of course, they live nowhere
near me
probably for a good reason
———————————————
the odds of dying alone
i remember the first time
i went to a strip club and
a dancer came up to me
and asked for a light
i lit her cigarette and
she told me thanks
and walked away
i think that was when
i started thinking about
loneliness and the odds
of dying alone
never did get a dance,
just drank some drinks
and made sure my friends
didn’t start any shit
i was the designated
drunk driver
got them all home and
myself safely like always,
some with better stories
than others
——————————————————-
building for years
and in the cold silence
you could feel the end
coming
not that anyone should
be afraid to die
certainly when it has
been building for years
not sure if i will cry
or just feel a tremendous
relief come over me
then of course, all the
adult responsibilities
i’ve been running from
knocks on the door and
says it’s showtime
honestly, my only goal
is to make sure the bills
are paid and i finally
can get my fucking
pool table
———————————————————–
addicted to sadness
saw my latest crush
yesterday at the store,
she was wearing
a ring on her finger
i wonder if i’m addicted
to sadness
the safety of falling in
love with anything I
can never have
these are the thoughts
that enter my head as
i walk around aimlessly
trying to find a good
tomato sauce
didn’t help any that it
was already raining
just the perfect setting
for a life that feels so
alone, so bitterly
fucking alone…
——————————————————-
bound to rain
apply the proper
amount of sunscreen,
its bound to rain
goth kids still
exist, who knew
another monday
wasted in a waiting
room
as i get older, death
looks more and more
appealing
i’m sure it will stay
that way until the
money gets a little
better
if only it was
that easy
especially when
the first tendency
is crime
much like your
father
hopefully i’m
gone long before
i’m broke and
shitting in my
pants like he
was
J.J. Campbell (1976 – ?) is old enough to know better. He’s been widely published over the years, most recently at Mad Swirl, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, The Beatnik Cowboy, The Rye Whiskey Review and Yellow Mama. His most recent book, to live your dreams, published by Whiskey City Press, is available at Amazon.com by going here: https://a.co/d/0aGeDio1