“Do Not Go Drunken Into That Good Night”

Do not go drunken into that good night
Old age should browse tumblr on a Tuesday;
Page, page left of your résumé to write.

While I at 10 o’clock know sleep is right,
Because my office has only Nescafé;
Do not go drunken into that good night.

I know last week that you, crying how bright
Every light was, hungover the next day,
Page, page left of your résumé to write.

Wild men who drink and rage on a weeknight
And realize, too late, they have turned twenty-eigh(t),
Do not go drunken into that good night.

Grave men, Downton Abbey cued on Netflix tonight,
Are buying boats with their 401Ks,
Page, page left of your résumé to write.

And you, my friend, assure me it’s “’aight,”
Curse, bless me now with your Sam Adams IPA,
Do not go drunken into that good night,
Page, page left of your résumé to write.

- - -

“The Ravin’”

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I web-shopped weak and weary,
Over many quaint and curious pages of an Etsy store,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
as of someone loudly clapping, their back against your bedroom door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “maybe that girl from the third floor,
Only this and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember, when you hooked up last September,
And you swore you’d be dismembered before you sought out an encore.
I hate to say that I told you so, that crazy bitch is back just to show
That your penis can’t say no. I mean, c’mon, her name’s Lenore.
At least keep it down for those of us who have to go to work tomorrow—
And we’ll speak of this nevermore.

- - -

“An Alarm Deferred”

What happens to an alarm deferred?

Does it silence,
like a whisper from afar?
Or does it keep beeping,
and beep more?
Does it wake your roommates up?
Probably not,
because they’re at work.

Maybe it just sings
a beautiful ode.

Or does it explode?

- - -

“Teach Day School?”

Teach day school? This
looks cool. On

Craigslist. Don’t
get pissed. I

just thought. May-
be not. First

of June. Rent’s
due soon.