She hacks another rank of white powder.
My mind sizzles with fallen star-frost.
The drink in my hand changes with a blink.
Everyone chatters. Music gets louder.
Exalted and spent, jagged and time-tossed,
My ruined mind spools across its cracked rink.
My throat is raw and numb. So are my eyes.
My crotch tingles with bitter phosphorous,
Cold drained whorl of ruthless spider longings.
Bottles, dust, and debris cram this dim sty,
Where each light stings, spins down to envious
Shadow, a place hidden from all dawnings.
Lethal hunger driven to narcotic feast,
I feed my center, this bright sleepless beast.

Original appearance in the American Poetry Review.