Sleep Tonight..!

Outside the world is mad with spring
and the season that touches them touches us.
We smoke in bed out the open window lending sweat
to the night air.
I can hear an ambulance.
The windowsill has marks
from other cigarettes like tiny black eyelids along its edge.
I watch your age stirring in your hands,
still young enough to chain-smoke between fucks but harried.

“Okay, do that one.”
“I don’t have anymore.”

 You widen your eyes in mock panic.
“This is a state of emergency.
Should I leave so you feel existential angst?”

“Fuck off.”
“Yes. But one more. Come on.”

Down the street two people dance in a small room
with the door open, we can’t hear the music.
You see me see them.

“Don’t tell me they’re in love.”
“That’d be boring, this is their second date
and he’s trying to do what he’s seen
in romantic comedies
and it’s working because
she wants something out of a romantic comedy.
They both feel uneasy but they think
it’s just them so neither brings it up.”

“Why?”
“It’s fiction.”
“What are they dancing to?”
“I don’t know, google ‘indie ukelele’ its probably the first result.”
“Don’t be depressing.”

“How about something from the seventies or eighties?
Something really tragically uncool but she mentioned it
when they first started talking so he planned the whole thing out.
It’s not really funny to her but it’s sweet so that’s enough.”

“That’s better. Still somehow depressing though.”
“Everything’s depressing when you’re depressed.”
“I’m happy.”

 Neither of us says anything until it seems funny
and you flick the cigarette butt out and grab me.

“Fine, fine, I guess I’m just depressing.”