999 Z16

did my best to get sober
but those days tasted so sour
everything went clear
saw through the bottom
saw my own hands grasping at
straws
there was nothing else so
heavy
as a nightcap drank in the
morning

played blues for the blue birds
played country for the country boys

and man
I needed a shrink
and man
I needed a leather couch
and a cliched office
and man
I needed a shrink

I bit my lip so hard
found black blood in the sink
who did it
nobody around but myself
and that disheveled boy
lurking in the mirror

what a fool

did my best to be rid of my
sobriety

my nerves are Christmas lights
I keep hoping some stranger’s hands
will put my mask on
cause wine in the morning
whiskey at night
has me shaking
when the lights
go out