For Jay on his 35th Birthday

Because we were at the Rodeo Bar in 3rd Avenue
and the Miller Lights cost 5 bucks a pint
which makes you feel like you are in a tourist bar
and cause the doe-eyed waitress
wouldn’t stop talking about Mexican pot
and how it shouldn’t count as much as regular pot
and cause that is when your back started to hurt
and wasn’t going to stop for another 4 days,

we left.

But I just want you to know
that is was nice for a moment
to pretend while the Shooter
and the Jamie Johnson played
bouncing off the Elvis plaques

that we were somewhere else today
like Nashville
or a cheaper plastic version of Nashville. Something close enough.
It was nice to think that
if even for a second
cause darling, we ache for these places
in the pinball machine of New York City
and I wanted to take you there so badly
even for the weekend
even though you know
and I know
we don’t have the money.