the first thing you do is
brush your teeth.
At least that way, in the bathroom,
you get a sense of things.
You can't avoid the forced image
of reflection and hang over,
of stiff hands and bruised vocal chords,
of soggy ivory and stale tongue.
Swallow that meat in your mouth son,
It does you no good.
you don't remember preaching son,
but your knees burn.
Know who should be praying
and why she can still be sleeping.
It still won't save you
but you were never serious
about leaving.

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