Romance

Julius Caesar sprawled out on his bed
Eating crackerjacks and playing guitar
His black eye is conspicuous
Bob Marley posters hung on the wall

He’s sick of his body there’s nothing to do
Hears his parents fight in the other room
Opens the window and nearly swoons
The sky looks big next to the fading moon

You loved him
You left him
A postcard
From Scranton

The electric city where your parents met
You lick the stamp with vague regret
Start to wonder where that love went
Then start to worry about yourself again

Everything’s dull in your little world
You wish you were still a little girl
Dressing up in your mother’s pearls
Talking in accents, so self-assured

Your back hurts
Your skin’s dry
Your chest heaves
With a sigh

Sighs don’t work they’re excuses to breathe and
You don’t feel better when you’re trying to talk to Jesus
And you’re not sure, but you think you don’t believe in
Love or life or sex or joy or reason

Get into your father’s car and drive away
Find yourself on the interstate
Thinking about the things you hate
Thinking about this fucking state

From Sussex
To Monmouth
New Jersey
Life sentence